tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13602789Tue, 03 Mar 2015 03:35:34 +0000DeadpoolIn the KnowGina CaranoThe Week in YESA-ForceAgent CarterAliensAmanda SeftonAngel DustAvengersBelascoBeyoncéBig Hero 6Black WidowCallistoCrimson PeakDaredevilElle KingExcaliburFifty Shades of GreyIllyana RasputinInfernoJamie DornanJiro TaniguchiJupiter AscendingKingsmanLazarus EffectLimboLove & RocketsMagikManga MondayMargali SzardosMasayuki IshikawaMeca TanakaMeteor PrinceMichelle BranchMorena BaccarinMorlocksPoltergeistPrintz AwardRed RoomSOAKSpider-ManSuicide SquadTaylor SwiftThe DUFFViola DavisWayward PinesX-MenComics-and-MoreA pop culture blog.http://comics-and-more.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (Dave Ferraro)Blogger1608125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13602789.post-9142313754015533677Mon, 02 Mar 2015 23:36:00 +00002015-03-02T17:36:06.852-06:00Manga MondayMeca TanakaMeteor PrinceManga Monday: Meteor PrinceOne of <em>Comics-and-More</em>'s most popular features is back!&nbsp; On the first Monday of every month, look for a new manga to be reviewed on <em>Manga Monday</em>!<br /><br /><strong>Meteor Prince (Volume 1)</strong><br /><em>Meca Tanaka</em><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ImmL8VEVdD8/VPO59bimNVI/AAAAAAAAGRA/EA06QV2JJEM/s1600/meteorite.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ImmL8VEVdD8/VPO59bimNVI/AAAAAAAAGRA/EA06QV2JJEM/s1600/meteorite.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>Hako Natsuno is a magnet for accidents.&nbsp; Literally, bad things are always happening to her - things are falling on her, she's tripping on anything and everything, etc.&nbsp; Her classmates call her the "Queen of Bad Luck," and mostly avoid her, although she has managed to surround herself with a couple of good friends.&nbsp; Her luck changes one day (well, maybe) when a hot alien guy drops out of the sky and declares that he has come to Earth to mate with Hako.<br /><br />Hako may have bad luck, but she's not the only one.&nbsp; Any reader with the misfortune of picking up this title has run smack-dab into some as well, because <strong>Meteor Prince</strong> is about as middle-of-the-road as you can get.&nbsp; Aside from her bad luck and some generic qualities, there is no character to Hako, leaving only a couple of goofy sidekicks and an alien to&nbsp;prop this book up.&nbsp; Luckily Io, from the planet Yupita, has potential.&nbsp; He's very child-like in his fascination with Earth and his complete obliviousness to customs, and is easily the funniest part of this romantic comedy.&nbsp; His constant loud declarations to mate with Hako, and unintentionally comedic actions,&nbsp;cement him as&nbsp;the star of this book, and perhaps the only bright spot to this series.&nbsp; The art is decent, but is hindered considerably by the lack of storytelling prowess of Meca Tanaka.&nbsp; For example, the opening scene is probably constructed worse than anything I've read in comics, period.&nbsp; We are introduced to Io immediately, in the middle of school, where he has landed, naked and ready to declare his intention to mate with Hako.&nbsp; Then, Tanaka insists on backtracking to Hako just before the incident, which gives absolutely no additional information except that we get to see her walk toward the lab where Io appears, only to have&nbsp;Io reintroduced again.&nbsp; The impact of that opening scene suffers significantly.&nbsp; It's redundant and left me baffled as to Tanaka's decision to play it out in such a bizarre way.&nbsp; Thankfully, this series is only a short two volumes in length, and will just as quickly be forgotten by anyone with the misfortune of picking it up.http://comics-and-more.blogspot.com/2015/03/manga-monday-meteor-prince.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Dave Ferraro)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13602789.post-8479174742040427073Thu, 26 Feb 2015 06:04:00 +00002015-02-26T00:05:33.418-06:00Angel DustCallistoDeadpoolGina CaranoIn the KnowMorlocksX-MenIn the Know: MorlocksWith Gina Carano <a href="https://games.yahoo.com/news/gina-carano-cast-angel-dust-212100517.html">cast</a> as the Morlock Angel Dust in the&nbsp;Fox's upcoming&nbsp;Deadpool movie, who's to say what sort of role the tunnel-dwelling mutants will play in the film?&nbsp; Either way, now's a good time to brush up on the Morlocks.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><u>Essential Reading</u></span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-G5fo4yxEy-k/VO1Ww2iwmdI/AAAAAAAAGPc/V16AkVYCHGk/s1600/morlocks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-G5fo4yxEy-k/VO1Ww2iwmdI/AAAAAAAAGPc/V16AkVYCHGk/s1600/morlocks.jpg" height="320" width="228" /></a></div><strong>Uncanny X-Men: Catacombs </strong>(<em>Chris Claremont, Paul Smith and Walter Simonson</em>) - Beginning in issue 169 (and continuing for two issues past the actual comic called "Catacombs") the X-Men meet a group of mutants, disfigured and forced to live apart from society, where they have found a place together in abandoned tunnels beneath New York.&nbsp; Not only is this the first appearance of the Morlocks, but it showcases the iconic "no powers" battle between Storm and the Morlock leader Callisto.&nbsp; We also meet Caliban (who later became a member of various X-Men teams) for the first time, who is smitten with Kitty Pryde and rescues her from fellow Morlock Plague. These issues are collected in <em>Essential X-Men (Volume 4).</em><br /><br /><strong>X-Men: Mutant Massacre</strong> (<em>Chris Claremont, Louise Simonson, Walter Simonson, John Romita, Jr., and Sal Buscema</em>) - This X-Men crossover sees the villainous mutant group The Marauders (whose ranks include Sabretooth, Harpoon, Scalphunter&nbsp;and Riptide)&nbsp;slaughter many of the Morlocks in the tunnels beneath New York before the combined efforts of the X-Men and several allies take them on to stop them.&nbsp; There are many consequences to this battle that were felt throughout the Marvel Universe.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><u>Recommended Reading</u></span><br /><br /><strong>Uncanny X-Men: What Happened To Kitty?</strong> (<em>Chris Claremont and John Romita, Jr.)</em>&nbsp;- In issue #179 of <em>Uncanny X-Men</em>, the Morlocks kidnap Kitty Pryde to get her to fulfill her promise upon their first meeting: to marry Caliban.&nbsp; Features the terrible powers of the Morlock Masque.&nbsp; This is also collected in <em>Essential X-Men (Volume 4).</em><br /><br /><strong>Morlocks</strong> (<em>Geoff Johns and Shawn Martinbrough</em>) - A four-issue mini-series from 2002, this is where Angel Dust first appears, joining the Morlocks of Chicago after her mutant powers kicked in, and battling with the mutant-hunting sentinels.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><u>Further Reading</u></span><br /><br /><strong>Uncanny X-Men: All-New, All-Different...Here We Go Again</strong> (<em>Chris Claremont and Jim Lee</em>) - In <em>Uncanny X-Men #254</em>, Muir Island is under siege by the Reavers, the island now&nbsp;hosting several morlocks.&nbsp; Meanwhile Callisto, in New York, is captured and tortured by Masque, who has taken leadership of the Morlocks.<br /><br /><strong>Uncanny X-Men: The Extremists</strong> (<em>Ed Brubaker and Salvador Larocca</em>) - The X-Men investigate attacks in the Morlock tunnels as Masque reclaims leadership of the Morlocks.http://comics-and-more.blogspot.com/2015/02/in-know-morlocks.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Dave Ferraro)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13602789.post-7812090665349380235Wed, 25 Feb 2015 03:59:00 +00002015-02-24T22:02:18.136-06:00AliensBig Hero 6DeadpoolLazarus EffectMasayuki IshikawaMichelle BranchMorena BaccarinSuicide SquadViola DavisWayward PinesThe Week In YES - 2/24<span style="font-size: large;"><u>The Song To Listen To</u></span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://ytimg.googleusercontent.com/vi/tDGSgZQPscY/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/tDGSgZQPscY?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div><br /><strong>"Spark" by Michelle Branch</strong><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><u>The YA Book To Read</u></span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-M30tZdBuMpk/VO0FM4w0waI/AAAAAAAAGPM/hSEM3X5NUC8/s1600/sineater.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-M30tZdBuMpk/VO0FM4w0waI/AAAAAAAAGPM/hSEM3X5NUC8/s1600/sineater.jpg" height="320" width="211" /></a></div><br /><strong>"This Sin Eater's Daughter" by Melinda Salisbury</strong><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><u>The Comic To Enjoy</u></span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FiL8ICXAUxk/VOu0LkcvFkI/AAAAAAAAGOM/i2kqOddvXDg/s1600/maria.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FiL8ICXAUxk/VOu0LkcvFkI/AAAAAAAAGOM/i2kqOddvXDg/s1600/maria.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div><br /><strong>"Maria, the Virgin Witch (Volume 1)" by Masayuki Ishikawa</strong><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><u>The Movie To See</u></span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://ytimg.googleusercontent.com/vi/1Ks6JqLzVTA/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/1Ks6JqLzVTA?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div><br /><strong>"The Lazarus Effect"</strong><br />Directed by David Gelb<br />Starring Olivia Wilde, Mark Duplass and Evan Peters<br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><u>The Trailer To Watch</u></span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://ytimg.googleusercontent.com/vi/2DxySpq6jFY/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/2DxySpq6jFY?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div><br /><strong>"Wayward Pines"</strong><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><u>More To Say Yes To</u></span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/alien/news/1932806/weekly_ketchup_chappie_director_signs_on_for_new_alien_movie/">This</a> announcement<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-e-lRP-URsM4/VOu3puyF32I/AAAAAAAAGOY/1VH5C1k2umk/s1600/aliens.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-e-lRP-URsM4/VOu3puyF32I/AAAAAAAAGOY/1VH5C1k2umk/s1600/aliens.jpg" height="241" width="320" /></a></div><br />Neill Blomkamp confirmed to direct new <strong>Aliens</strong> movie.<br /><br /><a href="http://icv2.com/articles/news/view/30898/deadpool-dating-jim-gordon-girl">This</a> casting news<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XrVkfhmu6U0/VOu4cQY45WI/AAAAAAAAGOg/3G-A_SwwW3M/s1600/Morena-Baccarin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XrVkfhmu6U0/VOu4cQY45WI/AAAAAAAAGOg/3G-A_SwwW3M/s1600/Morena-Baccarin.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div><br />Morena Baccarin cast as&nbsp;love interest&nbsp;in <strong>"Deadpool."</strong><br /><strong></strong><br />And <a href="http://www.newsarama.com/23621-viola-davis-confirmed-as-suicide-squad-s-amanda-waller.html">this</a> casting news<br /><strong></strong><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lsCxnGqkTN0/VO0ESNa47CI/AAAAAAAAGPA/Mtj6-B6jOKM/s1600/viola-davis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lsCxnGqkTN0/VO0ESNa47CI/AAAAAAAAGPA/Mtj6-B6jOKM/s1600/viola-davis.jpg" /></a></div><br />Viola Davis will play Amanda Waller in <strong>"Suicide Squad."</strong><br /><br />This Blu-Ray/DVD release<br /><strong></strong><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xKJ_tyk25bg/VOvEmfGvJCI/AAAAAAAAGOw/7FLjEDDeuE0/s1600/Big-Hero-6.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xKJ_tyk25bg/VOvEmfGvJCI/AAAAAAAAGOw/7FLjEDDeuE0/s1600/Big-Hero-6.png" height="320" width="269" /></a></div><br />Academy Award winner for Best Animated Film, <strong>"Big Hero 6"</strong>http://comics-and-more.blogspot.com/2015/02/the-week-in-yes-224.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Dave Ferraro)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13602789.post-1060579020500006944Tue, 17 Feb 2015 19:07:00 +00002015-02-17T13:07:06.965-06:00BeyoncéCrimson PeakDeadpoolFifty Shades of GreyGina CaranoJamie DornanJiro TaniguchiTaylor SwiftThe DUFFThe Week in YES - 2/17<span style="font-size: large;"><u>The Song To Listen To</u></span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://ytimg.googleusercontent.com/vi/4-SMS1aMHHg/0.jpg" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/4-SMS1aMHHg?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div><br /><strong>"Crazy In Love (Remix 2014)" by Beyoncé </strong>(From <em>Fifty Shades of Grey</em>)<br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><u>The YA Book To Read</u></span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_Ac7gGmCzGM/VN2m6tNKTXI/AAAAAAAAGMg/O-BuS6lotJA/s1600/bargaining.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_Ac7gGmCzGM/VN2m6tNKTXI/AAAAAAAAGMg/O-BuS6lotJA/s1600/bargaining.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a></div><br /><strong>"The Bargaining" by Carly Anne West</strong><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><u>The Comic To Enjoy</u></span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pVnsCvQYms0/VOI-cFLbnJI/AAAAAAAAGNA/f2baC1_elH4/s1600/walkingman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pVnsCvQYms0/VOI-cFLbnJI/AAAAAAAAGNA/f2baC1_elH4/s1600/walkingman.jpg" height="320" width="233" /></a></div><br /><strong>"The Walking Man: 10th Anniversary Edition" by Jiro Taniguchi</strong><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><u>The Movie To See</u></span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://ytimg.googleusercontent.com/vi/ci7eKlNRiuw/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ci7eKlNRiuw?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div><br /><strong>"The DUFF"</strong><br />Directed by Ari Sandel<br />Starring Bella Thorne, Mae Whitman and Robbie Amell<br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><u>The Trailer To Watch</u></span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://ytimg.googleusercontent.com/vi/4zBlG8Lv01k/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/4zBlG8Lv01k?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div><br /><strong>"Crimson Peak"</strong><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><u>More To Say Yes To</u></span><br /><br /><a href="https://games.yahoo.com/news/gina-carano-cast-angel-dust-212100517.html">This</a> casting news<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sU-UJD9sRIo/VOI_JYJ3pTI/AAAAAAAAGNI/PYv3XtZmgDc/s1600/gina.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sU-UJD9sRIo/VOI_JYJ3pTI/AAAAAAAAGNI/PYv3XtZmgDc/s1600/gina.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div><br /><strong>Gina Carano</strong> cast as Angel Dust in Fox's <strong>Deadpool</strong><br /><br />This movie poster<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hpRpM1Qzs9g/VN5ZR6D-sgI/AAAAAAAAGMw/CDdRI9tA0Ic/s1600/crimsonpeakposter_large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hpRpM1Qzs9g/VN5ZR6D-sgI/AAAAAAAAGMw/CDdRI9tA0Ic/s1600/crimsonpeakposter_large.jpg" height="320" width="202" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><strong>Guillermo del Toro's "Crimson Peak"</strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This music video</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://ytimg.googleusercontent.com/vi/-CmadmM5cOk/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/-CmadmM5cOk?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><strong>"Style" by Taylor Swift</strong>, featuring a yummy Dominic Sherwood</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This man's ass</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2pztoJ0lvzI/VOJATEN6S9I/AAAAAAAAGNU/T9bBS7HaFsA/s1600/jamiedornan.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2pztoJ0lvzI/VOJATEN6S9I/AAAAAAAAGNU/T9bBS7HaFsA/s1600/jamiedornan.png" height="320" width="262" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><strong>Jamie Dornan</strong> in "Fifty Shades of Grey"</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">﻿</div>http://comics-and-more.blogspot.com/2015/02/the-week-in-yes-217.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Dave Ferraro)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13602789.post-3653842648748565043Thu, 12 Feb 2015 06:31:00 +00002015-02-12T01:22:54.511-06:00Amanda SeftonBelascoExcaliburIllyana RasputinIn the KnowInfernoLimboMagikMargali SzardosIn the Know: MagikMarvel has <a href="https://games.yahoo.com/news/marvel-announces-inferno-series-185200429.html">announced</a> a new <em>Inferno</em> series from Dennis Hopeless and Javier Garron, spinning out of Marvel's upcoming mega-event <em>Battleworld</em>.&nbsp; The series will feature Colossus on a quest to save his sister Illyana, at the same time that Illyana,better known as X-Man Magik, is busy indulging in her badassery in this Hell-on-Earth.&nbsp; So, what better time to get acquainted with Magik?&nbsp; I love this part of the X-Men universe.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><u>Essential Reading</u></span><br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FJitRatwxyg/VNxUuvnW6vI/AAAAAAAAGMQ/gLAv4n8-zCg/s1600/illyana.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FJitRatwxyg/VNxUuvnW6vI/AAAAAAAAGMQ/gLAv4n8-zCg/s1600/illyana.jpg" height="320" width="224" /></a><strong>X-Men: Inferno</strong> (<em>Louise Simonson, Chris Claremont, Steve Engelhart, Gerry Conway, Ann Nocenti, Walter Simonson and various</em>) - When Magik leads her fellow New Mutants on a routine trip to Limbo, they find themselves trapped, and Illyana&nbsp;is tricked into opening a portal to&nbsp;Earth that allows hordes of demons to descend upon Manhattan.&nbsp;&nbsp;Her soul is on the line, as her final transformation into the demonic Darkchylde is close at hand.<br /><br /><strong>Magik: Illyana and Storm</strong> (<em>Chris Claremont, John Buscema&nbsp;and various</em>) - A four issue mini-series that explains Illyana's sudden growth from a child to a young adult in the pages of X-Men, in which she spends seven years in Limbo, raised by the demon Belasco, her soul compromised,&nbsp;and gifted with magical properties.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><u>Recommended Reading</u></span><br /><br /><strong>Excalibur: Soul Sword Trilogy</strong> (<em>Warren Ellis, Terry Dodson&nbsp;and various</em>) - You can find this story collected in <em>Excalibur Visionaries: Warren Ellis (Volume 1)</em>.&nbsp; Illyana has died of The Legacy Virus and has passed her legendary Soulsword on to her best friend, Kitty Pryde, who begins to act strangely.&nbsp; Several different interested parties from the magical corners of the Marvel Universe converge to take control of the weapon.&nbsp; This story features Amanda Sefton, Nightcrawler's sorceress girlfriend, who will eventually become the next Magik in the <em>X-Men: Black Sun</em> mini-series.&nbsp; Although to really see the fallout from this storyline, you have to read Excalibur's confrontation with&nbsp;Margali Szardos&nbsp;and Belasco in Limbo in <em>X-Men Unlimited #19 </em>(and I recommend reading <em>Excalibur: London Burning</em> before picking that up).<br /><br /><strong>New X-Men: Quest For Magik</strong> (<em>Christopher Yost &amp; Skottie Young</em>) and <strong>X-Infernus</strong> (<em>C.B. Cebulski &amp; Giuseppe Camuncoli</em>) - Amanda Sefton is driven out of Limbo&nbsp;by Belasco, who&nbsp;has&nbsp;stolen&nbsp;the Soulsword from her.&nbsp; Belasco also resurrected Illyana, as he is in love with her, although he ultimately deems her resurrection&nbsp;a failure, as she&nbsp;appears soulless.&nbsp;Illyana reclaims her mantle as Magik, while proving just how dark and untrustworthy her demon nature makes her,&nbsp;and confronts the current owner of her soul (in the form of her Bloodstone amulet), Belasco's daughter Witchfire.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><u>Further Reading</u></span><br /><br /><strong>X-Men: Magik</strong> (<em>Andy Lanning, Dan Abnett and Liam McCormick-Sharp</em>) - Amanda Sefton, as Magik, conquers Limbo alongside her boyfriend Nightcrawler, stopping the likes of Mephisto, Nightmare and Dormammu from their attempts to invade Earth.<br /><br /><strong>Exiles #22-45</strong> (<em>Exiles: Legacy, Exiles: Unnatural Instincts, Exiles: Fantastic Voyage </em>and<em> Exiles: A Blink in Time</em>)&nbsp;- The Magik of Earth-4210 was a wild card member of the team of dimension-jumping characters, and possibly the most bad-ass and memorable.http://comics-and-more.blogspot.com/2015/02/in-know-magik.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Dave Ferraro)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13602789.post-205261824044856947Wed, 11 Feb 2015 06:58:00 +00002015-02-11T00:58:23.357-06:00A-ForceElle KingKingsmanLove & RocketsPoltergeistSpider-ManThe Week in YESThe Week in YES - 2/11<u><span style="font-size: large;">The Song To Listen To</span></u><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://ytimg.googleusercontent.com/vi/QBAFz880b_Y/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/QBAFz880b_Y?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div><br /><strong>"Ain't Gonna Drown" by Elle King</strong><br /><br /><u><span style="font-size: large;">The YA Book To Read</span></u><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-142p8BBPN50/VNRmHMOpgxI/AAAAAAAAGJQ/-e-SY1G29L0/s1600/red%2Bqueen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-142p8BBPN50/VNRmHMOpgxI/AAAAAAAAGJQ/-e-SY1G29L0/s1600/red%2Bqueen.jpg" height="320" width="208" /></a></div><br /><strong>"Red Queen"</strong> by Victoria Aveyard<br /><br /><u><span style="font-size: large;">The Comic To Enjoy</span></u><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JV5ui45Yuec/VNkIWG3M8XI/AAAAAAAAGK8/Amzm2w9er0c/s1600/loverockets7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JV5ui45Yuec/VNkIWG3M8XI/AAAAAAAAGK8/Amzm2w9er0c/s1600/loverockets7.jpg" height="320" width="258" /></a></div><br /><strong>"Love&nbsp;and Rockets: New Stories (Volume 7) TP" </strong>by Gilbert Hernandez and Jaime Hernandez<br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><u>The Movie To See</u></span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://ytimg.googleusercontent.com/vi/kl8F-8tR8to/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/kl8F-8tR8to?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div><br /><strong>Kingsman: The Secret Service</strong><br />Directed by Matthew Vaughn<br />Starring Colin Firth, Taron Egerton and Samuel L. Jackson<br /><br /><u><span style="font-size: large;">The Trailer To Watch</span></u><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://ytimg.googleusercontent.com/vi/fhr8d1yxSP8/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/fhr8d1yxSP8?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div><br /><strong>Poltergeist (2015)</strong><br /><br /><u><span style="font-size: large;">More To Say Yes To</span></u><br /><br />This announcement<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-P-ItuLCX5yw/VNcKdC_VYbI/AAAAAAAAGJg/PKCs3M6CMGM/s1600/aforce.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-P-ItuLCX5yw/VNcKdC_VYbI/AAAAAAAAGJg/PKCs3M6CMGM/s1600/aforce.jpg" height="320" width="210" /></a></div><br /><strong>A-Force</strong> - An all-female Avengers team.<br /><br />And <a href="https://tv.yahoo.com/news/marvel-shocker-spider-man-going-043800672.html">this</a> announcement<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oiMMogysBiI/VNmVBWUpotI/AAAAAAAAGLM/-1bMVYLvKWQ/s1600/Andrew-Garfield-Spider-Man-costume.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oiMMogysBiI/VNmVBWUpotI/AAAAAAAAGLM/-1bMVYLvKWQ/s1600/Andrew-Garfield-Spider-Man-costume.jpg" height="320" width="232" /></a></div><br />Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures announce that<strong> Spider-Man&nbsp;will appear in future Marvel Studios film</strong>, and Marvel Studios characters may appear in upcoming Spider-Man films.<br /><br />Then <a href="http://www.newsarama.com/23456-dc-reveals-major-changes-new-direction-for-comic-book-line.html">this</a> announcement<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-F-SZWQKkR14/VNrcsIh8iFI/AAAAAAAAGLo/JvBJaaVG_RQ/s1600/starfire_580.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a>&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-J4L6C2S8X7Y/VNrdMgsF2UI/AAAAAAAAGLw/SDAGTcUpDaI/s1600/black%2Bcanary.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-J4L6C2S8X7Y/VNrdMgsF2UI/AAAAAAAAGLw/SDAGTcUpDaI/s1600/black%2Bcanary.jpg" height="320" width="210" /></a></div><br /><strong>DC Comics diversifies comics line</strong>, launches 24 new titles, including <em>Black Canary, Bat-Mite</em>, <em>Bizarro, Mystic U, Robin: Son of Batman</em>, <em>Starfire</em> and <em>Prez: First Teen President</em>.&nbsp; Finally,&nbsp;DC sees that&nbsp;creativity coming before continuity is a good thing.<br /><br /><a href="https://www.yahoo.com/music/s/garbage-shirley-manson-blasts-kanye-west-open-letter-032855036.html">This</a> open letter<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WH4n1j7oMG4/VNmWXLEaQaI/AAAAAAAAGLY/eiqs0KdpLN4/s1600/4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WH4n1j7oMG4/VNmWXLEaQaI/AAAAAAAAGLY/eiqs0KdpLN4/s1600/4.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></div><br />Shirley Manson of Garbage calls out <strong>Kanye West on being an asshat</strong>.http://comics-and-more.blogspot.com/2015/02/the-week-in-yes-211.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Dave Ferraro)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13602789.post-1462112668105250048Thu, 05 Feb 2015 07:41:00 +00002015-02-05T01:54:30.462-06:00DaredevilJupiter AscendingPrintz AwardSOAKThe Week in YESThe Week In YES<span style="font-size: large;"><u>The Song To Listen To</u></span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://ytimg.googleusercontent.com/vi/6FgxCIWnR4A/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/6FgxCIWnR4A?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div><br /><strong>"Sea Creatures" by SOAK</strong><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><u>The YA Book To Read</u></span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OKJbe3E-sAo/VNLyUKBTTrI/AAAAAAAAGIA/xt6xn2Ile6c/s1600/ill-give-you-the-sun.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OKJbe3E-sAo/VNLyUKBTTrI/AAAAAAAAGIA/xt6xn2Ile6c/s1600/ill-give-you-the-sun.jpg" height="320" width="211" /></a></div><br /><br />This 2014 Michael L. Printz Award Winner was&nbsp;announced&nbsp;on Monday.<br /><strong>"I'll Give You the Sun" by Jandy Nelson</strong><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><u>The Comic To Enjoy</u></span><br /><u><span style="font-size: small;"></span></u><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XsKTkEryfc8/VNLziTaBqiI/AAAAAAAAGIM/wb9jW0KSJog/s1600/blackvortex.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XsKTkEryfc8/VNLziTaBqiI/AAAAAAAAGIM/wb9jW0KSJog/s1600/blackvortex.jpg" height="320" width="210" /></a></div><u></u><br />Guardians of the Galaxy and the X-Men<br /><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>The Black Vortex: Alpha</strong> (<em>Sam Humphries &amp; Ed McGuinness</em>)</span><br /><u></u><br /><u><span style="font-size: large;">The Movie To See</span></u><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://ytimg.googleusercontent.com/vi/i1hW3bWIuDA/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/i1hW3bWIuDA?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div><br /><strong>Jupiter Ascending</strong><br />Directed by Andy Wachowski and Lana Wachowski<br />Starring Channing Tatum and Mila Kunis<br /><u><span style="font-size: small;"></span></u><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><u>The Trailer To Watch</u></span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://ytimg.googleusercontent.com/vi/XC7GPdBV9WQ/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/XC7GPdBV9WQ?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div><br /><strong>Marvel's Daredevil</strong><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><u>More To Say Yes To</u></span><br /><u><span style="font-size: small;"></span></u><br />This poster<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-19n_qYFm-iw/VNL19XFSijI/AAAAAAAAGIc/wp1fOYl3wpY/s1600/mmxxl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-19n_qYFm-iw/VNL19XFSijI/AAAAAAAAGIc/wp1fOYl3wpY/s1600/mmxxl.jpg" height="320" width="215" /></a></div><br />This casting news<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5MEwlfMdRmw/VNL23wKrJCI/AAAAAAAAGIs/UEMmrke1vGI/s1600/nickj.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5MEwlfMdRmw/VNL23wKrJCI/AAAAAAAAGIs/UEMmrke1vGI/s1600/nickj.jpg" height="320" width="245" /></a></div><br /><em>Nick Jonas joins Jamie Lee Curtis, Emma Roberts, Lea Michelle, Joe Manganiello and Ariana Grande&nbsp;for Ryan Murphy's <strong>Scream Queens</strong>.</em><br /><br />And this casting news<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-z1Vfn6Gm8Cg/VNL3WR5UUKI/AAAAAAAAGI0/Sc5NFRWo9-s/s1600/felicity.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-z1Vfn6Gm8Cg/VNL3WR5UUKI/AAAAAAAAGI0/Sc5NFRWo9-s/s1600/felicity.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div><br />Felicity Jones in talks to star as female lead in upcoming stand-alone <strong>Star Wars</strong> spin-off.<br /><br />This costume design<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dDzoKiXU8Ok/VNL6CXu76ZI/AAAAAAAAGJA/5qdHGAadJDA/s1600/routh-atom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dDzoKiXU8Ok/VNL6CXu76ZI/AAAAAAAAGJA/5qdHGAadJDA/s1600/routh-atom.jpg" height="320" width="198" /></a></div><br />Brandon Routh as The Atom on <strong>Arrow</strong>.http://comics-and-more.blogspot.com/2015/02/the-week-in-yes.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Dave Ferraro)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13602789.post-1868273518162109389Thu, 05 Feb 2015 00:06:00 +00002015-02-04T18:10:38.980-06:00Agent CarterAvengersBlack WidowIn the KnowRed RoomIn the Know: The Red RoomLast week's <strong>Marvel's Agent Carter</strong> had some scenes showcasing young&nbsp;girls being trained as spies and brutal combatants in Russia, the same program that Black Widow stems from.&nbsp; The infamous "Red Room" and the widow's origins, are sure to be make an appearance in the next Marvel movie, <strong>Avengers: Age of Ultron</strong>, if the trailer is any indication, and will likely be featured prominently in future episodes of <strong>Marvel's Agent Carter</strong>.&nbsp; So what better excuse to take a good look at some Black Widow comics?<br /><strong></strong><br /><u><span style="font-size: large;">Essential Reading</span></u><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mzcaMIsRnoc/VNKzb00XJSI/AAAAAAAAGHw/JeAS_9hv1dU/s1600/BW-Itsy-Bitsy-Spider-Trade.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mzcaMIsRnoc/VNKzb00XJSI/AAAAAAAAGHw/JeAS_9hv1dU/s1600/BW-Itsy-Bitsy-Spider-Trade.jpg" height="320" width="209" /></a></div><strong>Black Widow: The Itsy-Bitsy Spider </strong>(<em>Devin Grayson &amp; J.G. Jones</em>)&nbsp;- Features Natasha&nbsp;as the kick-ass spy we know her to be.&nbsp; This is probably the best solo story featuring the Avenger.&nbsp; This also prominently features Yelena Belova, the blonde, next generation&nbsp;Black Widow who still works as a spy for Russia (she had made a brief appearance previously, but this is where she was extensively used for the first time).&nbsp; <br /><br /><strong>Black Widow: Breakdown </strong>(<em>Devin Grayson, Greg Rucka &amp; Scott Hampton</em>)&nbsp;- Following <em>The Itsy-Bitsy Spider </em>is this cool story featuring the Black Widows switching bodies, with Daredevil thrown into the mix.<br /><br />Both&nbsp;storylines&nbsp;were collected together in a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Black-Widow-Rucka-Devin-Grayson/dp/B00NG332V2/ref=sr_1_11?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1423091529&amp;sr=1-11&amp;keywords=black+widow+rucka">trade paperback</a> if you can find it.&nbsp; <br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><u>Suggested Reading</u></span><br /><br /><strong>Black Widow: Pale Little Spider</strong> (<em>Greg Rucka &amp; Igor Kordey</em>)&nbsp;- This is kind of a messed-up story featuring Yelena Belova exclusively.&nbsp; This was released under the MAX mature readers imprint, and really digs into this character.<br /><br /><strong>Thunderbolts: Widowmaker</strong> (<em>Andy Diggle &amp; Roberto Del La Torre</em>) - Yelena joins the Thunderbolts, as one of Norman Osborn's black-ops agents.&nbsp; Oh, but there are twists and turns as the Thunderbolts hunt down former teammate Songbird.&nbsp; This is a great story for Black Widow.<br /><br /><strong>Black Widow: The Name of the Rose</strong> (<em>Marjorie Liu &amp; Daniel Acuna</em>) - This is the first collection of an ongoing series from the creative team, with some great spy action featuring Natasha.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><u>Further Reading</u></span><br /><br /><strong>Black Widow: Homecoming</strong> (<em>Richard K. Morgan &amp; Bill Sienkiewicz</em>)<br /><br /><strong>Black Widow: The Things They Say About Her</strong> (<em>Richard K. Morgan, Sean Phillips &amp; Bill Sienkiewicz</em>) - Both of these books feature some great art, and really dig into The Red Room.<br /><br /><strong>Winter Soldier by Ed Brubaker: The Complete Collection</strong> (<em>Ed Brubaker, Butch Guice &amp; Michael Lark</em>) - Black Widow is featured heavily in this series that ran for fourteen issues, and people seem to really like her in it, although I haven't had the chance to read it yet.http://comics-and-more.blogspot.com/2015/02/in-know-red-room.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Dave Ferraro)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13602789.post-1872341852616374517Thu, 15 Jan 2015 07:34:00 +00002015-01-17T19:17:21.328-06:00Best in Music 2014The following are my favorite songs and albums of 2014, another great year in music. For songs, I kept it to one song per artist to feature the most talent, and overall, it makes for one hell of a mixed CD if anyone's looking for some great tunes. I do tend to gravitate toward female singers, but there are some guys in there to mix it up. Enjoy!<br /><br /><strong><u>10 Best Albums of 2014</u></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wTmswdPNysw/VLdopPr9jdI/AAAAAAAAGFQ/Wio_dORkdcI/s1600/aaa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wTmswdPNysw/VLdopPr9jdI/AAAAAAAAGFQ/Wio_dORkdcI/s1600/aaa.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">&nbsp;</div><strong>1. </strong><strong>Gypsy Heart</strong> by Colbie Caillat - Colbie Caillat's latest album has a down-to-earth, Bohemian style with a lot of pared-back sounds, but she uses unique sounds in smart ways to enhance songs with just a touch of something fun, like in my favorite song off of the album, If You Love Me Let Me Go.&nbsp;&nbsp;You can tell that Colbie has fun writing and singing these songs, and it feels like it really comes from an honest place.&nbsp; The sounds are great and melodic, the lyrics are heartfelt, and this solid CD deserves the title of Best Album this year.<br /><br />Key Tracks:<strong> </strong><em><strong>If You Love Me Let Me Go</strong>, Try, Never Gonna Let You Down</em><br /><strong></strong><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E83eKMBwgzA/VLdp_4gfJwI/AAAAAAAAGFc/S_c1HC8BpYY/s1600/aab.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E83eKMBwgzA/VLdp_4gfJwI/AAAAAAAAGFc/S_c1HC8BpYY/s1600/aab.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div><strong></strong><br /><strong>2. Fire Within </strong>by Birdy - Birdy has a lot of epic, sweeping songs with strings and piano accompaniment on her latest album.&nbsp; She knows how to put a song together for maximum impact, pulling on listeners' heartstrings with swelling refrains.&nbsp; She sings a mean power ballad too, with her strong voice.&nbsp; There's a vulnerability to Birdy that makes her songs feel authentic, and I love what she's produced here.<br /><br />Key Tracks: <em><strong>Wings</strong>, Words As Weapons (US Version), People Help the People</em><br /><em></em><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KG_FX3gPOVY/VLdqG8jzgAI/AAAAAAAAGFk/IQtZ895xIlQ/s1600/aag.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KG_FX3gPOVY/VLdqG8jzgAI/AAAAAAAAGFk/IQtZ895xIlQ/s1600/aag.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><strong>3. The Private World of Paradise</strong> by Wake Owl - This album is chalk-full of great sounds,&nbsp;sometimes haunting, sometimes fun and quirky, but it all adds up to create an album that feels fresh -&nbsp;folksy, yet modern.&nbsp;&nbsp;A very atmospheric album.&nbsp; This is one of the most exciting bands out there right now, and one to definitely keep an eye on.<br /><br />Key Tracks: <em>Madness of Others, Desert Flowers, <strong>Innocence</strong></em><br /><strong><em></em></strong><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lWDbEvz9pHA/VLdqPMRMYTI/AAAAAAAAGFs/QCLA4XbhDyo/s1600/aah.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lWDbEvz9pHA/VLdqPMRMYTI/AAAAAAAAGFs/QCLA4XbhDyo/s1600/aah.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><strong>4. Walk Through Walls </strong>by Katie Herzig - I feel like you don't just listen to a Katie Herzig song - you <em>experience</em> it.&nbsp; She is a master craftsman, blending her beautiful lyrics with interesting sounds and producing wholly unique music.&nbsp; Every song tells a story that you <em>feel</em>, not just through what she's saying, but how she says it, as the music strings you along (she can even make her screams sound like beautiful music, as is evident by the song <em>Forgiveness</em>).&nbsp; Katie Herzig is one of the most talented singer-songwriters out there.<br /><br />Key Tracks: <em>Drug, Thick As Thieves, <strong>Forgiveness</strong></em><br /><strong><em></em></strong><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-R1JPNjwVZ60/VLdqUyita6I/AAAAAAAAGF0/6xCzTRh-gHw/s1600/aaf.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-R1JPNjwVZ60/VLdqUyita6I/AAAAAAAAGF0/6xCzTRh-gHw/s1600/aaf.png" height="302" width="320" /></a></div><strong></strong><br /><strong>5. Ultraviolence </strong>by Lana Del Rey - I won't lie - I wasn't a fan of this CD when I first listened to it.&nbsp; I was disappointed that it didn't have the energy of her first two albums.&nbsp; But Lana Del Rey is my favorite singer, so I kept my mind open.&nbsp; It took a few times to really get into it, and then I fell in love with the dreamlike quality of the CD, like walking through a haze.&nbsp; Lana's moody crooning, coupled with&nbsp;her dark lyrics, make this a worthy addition to her body of work.<br /><br />Key Tracks: <em><strong>Ultraviolence</strong>, Brooklyn Baby, Pretty When You Cry</em><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YcMWzYNm8qI/VLdqZYQposI/AAAAAAAAGF8/qXk9qTGzLL8/s1600/aae.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YcMWzYNm8qI/VLdqZYQposI/AAAAAAAAGF8/qXk9qTGzLL8/s1600/aae.png" /></a></div><br /><strong>6. 1989</strong> by Taylor Swift - Say what you will about Taylor Swift's personal life, but this girl can sing, and she knows how to craft a perfect pop album.&nbsp; <strong>1989</strong> is full of songs that are catchy as hell and will appeal to a wide audience, which is what every pop singer strives for.&nbsp; It's little wonder that she is such a powerhouse when she consistently churns out quality music like this.<br /><br />Key Tracks:&nbsp;<em>Style, Out of the Woods, <strong>Shake It Off</strong></em><br /><strong></strong><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SJcdIqnUfCY/VLdqfU7S7aI/AAAAAAAAGGE/HeoetdG2TEE/s1600/aai.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SJcdIqnUfCY/VLdqfU7S7aI/AAAAAAAAGGE/HeoetdG2TEE/s1600/aai.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><strong>7. Love Me EP </strong>by Barcelona - It's not too often that you come across a male vocalist who can show such emotion and vulnerability, yet still remain so masculine and sexy.&nbsp; These songs are very honest and kind of intense, even though the music sounds so playful.<br /><br />Key Tracks: <em><strong>Background</strong>, Diamond and Silver, Strange Way</em><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--vFmZvcR4t0/VLdqkJwKDwI/AAAAAAAAGGM/kvJCKCiNSuk/s1600/aaj.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--vFmZvcR4t0/VLdqkJwKDwI/AAAAAAAAGGM/kvJCKCiNSuk/s1600/aaj.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><strong>8. Call Me ARay</strong> by Ashley Ray - Country albums are rarely this innovative.&nbsp; Ashley Ray manages to create an album with a sound that is a throwback to old school country, yet is really progressive with interesting new sounds mixed in.&nbsp; The lyrics are really, really clever, and often harbor a real darkness to them.&nbsp; Ashley also has a voice that stands out from the competition, and serves to prove that nobody else could have made a CD quite like this.<br /><br />Key Tracks: <em>Get Gone, <strong>Holywater</strong>, Signs of Weakness</em><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Xkm6bWJlNL8/VLdqo8ulSFI/AAAAAAAAGGU/iKbTLoEgrpU/s1600/aad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Xkm6bWJlNL8/VLdqo8ulSFI/AAAAAAAAGGU/iKbTLoEgrpU/s1600/aad.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><strong>9. </strong><strong>Young Heart</strong> by Blondfire - This duo (a brother and sister)&nbsp;packs their new album&nbsp;with great, hip songs with a pop sensibility.&nbsp; The songs are infectious, and often hard to get out of your head, with a cool electronic edge to them.<br /><br />Key Tracks: <em>Waves, <strong>Dear In Your Headlights</strong>, Kites</em><br /><strong></strong><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1-WtbbvpXlc/VLdqtKsemyI/AAAAAAAAGGc/gfyfruGlLRg/s1600/aac.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1-WtbbvpXlc/VLdqtKsemyI/AAAAAAAAGGc/gfyfruGlLRg/s1600/aac.jpg" /></a></div><br /><strong>10. Bonds EP </strong>by Deluka - More reserved than her debut <em>You Are the Night</em>, Deluka's sound has matured, but she still rocks out in songs like <em>American Skies</em>, and peppers interesting sounds throughout.&nbsp; These are solid songs that show that Deluka is a versatile talent.<br /><br />Key Tracks: <em>Home, American Skies, The Only Ones</em><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong><u>30 Best Songs of 2014</u></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--jK-DuHlurs/VLdrBSOy0fI/AAAAAAAAGGk/tJF7KHjcm5o/s1600/aak.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--jK-DuHlurs/VLdrBSOy0fI/AAAAAAAAGGk/tJF7KHjcm5o/s1600/aak.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><strong>1. Lost (Noah Hyde Remix) </strong>by Scavenger Hunt - Appropriately titled, you can get lost in this song easily.&nbsp; A strong dance vibe that fits snugly with the vocals make this a solid song.&nbsp; It has the feeling of walking the dark streets after a night of clubbing.<br /><strong></strong><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dWrwq3wYgiU/VLdrVZYuquI/AAAAAAAAGGs/pE7Oofet5uw/s1600/aal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dWrwq3wYgiU/VLdrVZYuquI/AAAAAAAAGGs/pE7Oofet5uw/s1600/aal.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></div><strong>2. Monument </strong>by Royksopp &amp; Robyn - Dark and moody, with a great overall sound.<br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>3. Words As Weapons (US Version) </strong>by Birdy - Birdy sings this song with a vulnerability that's refreshing.&nbsp; You can almost feel her grow more confident by the end.&nbsp; A beautiful song that packs a bit of punch.<br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>4. If You Love Me Let Me Go </strong>by Colbie Cailatt - Has you drumming your fingers and tapping your feet in time to the beat.<br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>5. Shake It Off </strong>by Taylor Swift - Infectious as hell.<br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>6. Say Something </strong>by A Great Big World &amp; Christina Aguilera - A great power ballad with an indie feel to it.&nbsp; I was shocked that the female vocals belonged to Christina Aguilera, as she isn't often so subtle.<br /><strong></strong><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-I9-hpAW7OUo/VLdrlGBSBvI/AAAAAAAAGG0/ZhseifrUTxk/s1600/aam.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-I9-hpAW7OUo/VLdrlGBSBvI/AAAAAAAAGG0/ZhseifrUTxk/s1600/aam.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a><strong>7. Northern Lights </strong>by Kate Boy - I love the unique sounds in this song - it really makes it stand out.<br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>8. Innocence </strong>by Wake Owl - This song has a really cool vibe to it that's infectious.&nbsp; And I like that's it kind of a short song - it's succinct and impactful as is - any longer and it may have robbed it of some of its power.<br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>9. Just Ask </strong>by Lake Street Dive - Bluesy and dreamlike, this is a breezy song set to commanding vocals.<br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>10. So So LaLa </strong>by Strange Talk - Sweeps you along in pure pop goodness.<br /><strong></strong><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4Unyc-K5w3s/VLdr5hFMQxI/AAAAAAAAGG8/95iHy_G2q1U/s1600/aan.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4Unyc-K5w3s/VLdr5hFMQxI/AAAAAAAAGG8/95iHy_G2q1U/s1600/aan.png" height="200" width="200" /></a><strong>11. Fortify </strong>by Kate Miller - I love the lyrics, the refrain, the sound - this is just a perfectly-constructed song.<br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>12. Iuka </strong>by The Secret Sisters - This country song has some dark lyrics, and coupled with the old country vibe makes for a haunting song.<br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>13. Hurricane </strong>by Halsey - Atmospheric with dark lyrics.<br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>14. Breaking Your Heart </strong>by Jessie James Decker - Decker is really convincing as she conveys regret and loss in this country song with a breezy chorus that echoes&nbsp;with heartache.<br /><strong></strong><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Jua_V00-bDk/VLdsPzPnl6I/AAAAAAAAGHE/k3u6JqG3AHI/s1600/aao.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Jua_V00-bDk/VLdsPzPnl6I/AAAAAAAAGHE/k3u6JqG3AHI/s1600/aao.png" height="200" width="198" /></a></div><strong>15. Bind Your Love </strong>by Cher Lloyd - The chorus is great and catchy.<br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>16. Break the Fall </strong>by Laura Welsh - Fierce and a little rough around the edges.<br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>17. The Brink</strong> by The Jezabels - There's an urgency to this song that you can really feel when you experience this song.&nbsp; It kind of just pulls you along.<br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>18. Circular Road </strong>by Heathers - Fast and furious, this song rushes headlong into a chorus that's demanding.<br /><strong></strong><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--6e0ucD40Hc/VLdsiHrnVHI/AAAAAAAAGHM/1B7arPcFcGs/s1600/aap.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--6e0ucD40Hc/VLdsiHrnVHI/AAAAAAAAGHM/1B7arPcFcGs/s1600/aap.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></div><strong>19. </strong><strong>Borderline</strong> by Tove Styrke - This song is funky and it's just fun - you can tell the artist had a great time singing and putting this together.<br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>20. Time Machine b</strong>y Ingrid Michaelson - Calls to mind her excellent rendition of "Parachute," with playful lyrics.<br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>21. All About&nbsp;That Bass </strong>by Meghan Trainor - This was all over this year, but that was for a reason - it's catchy as hell with a fun 60's vibe.<br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>22. The Heart Wants What It Wants </strong>by Selena Gomez - A great pop ballad.<br /><strong></strong><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--IEOJxFUYMg/VLds0LakAjI/AAAAAAAAGHU/419szW1VXdA/s1600/aaq.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--IEOJxFUYMg/VLds0LakAjI/AAAAAAAAGHU/419szW1VXdA/s1600/aaq.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></div><strong>23. Heartstrings </strong>by Leighton Meester - A sweet song with a great refrain.<br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>24. Holywater </strong>by Ashley Ray - I love the unique sound of this song - old-fashioned country, but with&nbsp;some modern sounds mixed into it, and clever lyrics.<br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>25. Goldrush </strong>by Paper Aeroplanes - Haunting and melodic.<br /><br /><strong>26. No One Needs To Know</strong> by HAERTS - There's a real momentum to the chorus of this song that I really like.&nbsp; The great vocals really elevate it.<br /><strong></strong><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YMQgv_a7kug/VLdtTxBr4aI/AAAAAAAAGHc/rSRBwuU4Pq8/s1600/aar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YMQgv_a7kug/VLdtTxBr4aI/AAAAAAAAGHc/rSRBwuU4Pq8/s1600/aar.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></div><strong>27. Same Side </strong>by The Casket Girls - The ingredients come together really well in this song - the background, with the pace of the lyrics, the humming, the chorus - it all forms a really great final product.<br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>28. </strong><strong>Love</strong> by NONONO - This whole song is great - I may even like the non-chorus part of the song better than the chorus.&nbsp; It's just interesting how the words are sung.<br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>29. Chains (Just a Gent Remix) </strong>by Nick Jonas - Obviously channeling Justin Timberlake, Jonas oozes sex in this song with his crooning.<br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>30. Tightrope </strong>by Tiffany Alvord - This is a solid pop song with a great chorus.<br /><strong></strong><br /><u>Honorable Mentions</u><br /><strong>Banshee </strong>by Onyay Pheori<br /><strong>Battlefield</strong> by Lea Michele<br /><strong>Clip Your Wings </strong>by Nina Persson<br /><strong>Dear In Your Headlights</strong> by Blondfire<br /><strong>Happy Pop</strong> by Elizabeth &amp; The Catapulthttp://comics-and-more.blogspot.com/2015/01/best-in-music-2014.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Dave Ferraro)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13602789.post-4348285663492342283Sat, 01 Mar 2014 04:02:00 +00002014-02-28T22:02:25.881-06:00Top 20 Comics of 2013These are my favorite comics&nbsp;of 2013, including manga, superheroes, graphic novels, reprints, etc. I try to be as true to how I feel about a book as possible when ranking them, which is why it may seem odd for some to see a superhero title hardly anyone read rank over an acclaimed graphic novel. If I enjoyed my experience of reading it more, it was placed higher on my list. Anyways, these are my favorite twenty comics of the year. I hope you enjoy my list, and hopefully check out some books that may have eluded you.<br /><br /><u>Honorable Mentions</u><br /><strong>Buffy the Vampire Slayer </strong>(<em>Andrew Chambliss,</em> <em>Georges Jeanty, Jane Espenson &amp; Various</em>)<br /><strong>Courtney Crumrin </strong>(<em>Ted Naifeh</em>)<br /><strong>Gold Pollen and Other Stories </strong>(<em>Seiichi Hayashi</em>)<br /><strong>Marble Season </strong>(<em>Gilbert Hernandez</em>)<br /><strong>Soulless </strong>(<em>Gail Carriger &amp; REM</em>)<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rbYFKiH-R4k/UxFWNM7XAKI/AAAAAAAAF_8/zduQEDypAXE/s1600/Mouse-Guard-Black-Axe-Front-Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rbYFKiH-R4k/UxFWNM7XAKI/AAAAAAAAF_8/zduQEDypAXE/s1600/Mouse-Guard-Black-Axe-Front-Cover.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div><strong>20.</strong> <strong>Mouse Guard: The Black Axe </strong>(<em>David Petersen</em>) - Petersen takes us back in history to tell the tale of the mouse who wields the black axe, and his confrontation with the sinister weasels.&nbsp; The fantasy feel and cute designs of the mice make this title irresistible, but it's really Petersen's consistently amazing pencils that make this series such a stunning read.<br /><br /><strong>19. Wonder Woman </strong>(<em>Brian Azzarello, Cliff Chiang &amp; Tony Akins</em>) - <strong>Wonder Woman</strong> is the only DC Comic that remotely stands out from the others currently.&nbsp; Azzarello has breathed new life into the title with his unique pantheon of gods, and Wonder Woman's place among them.&nbsp; Meanwhile, the art is top-notch and not the cookie cutter 90's art that seems to plague DC's other 51 titles, keeping this title fresh and relevant, while the rest of DC flags.<br /><strong></strong><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bDiXGXR-xFA/UxFXZb-YszI/AAAAAAAAGAI/1jJnPsMVV2M/s1600/allnew.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bDiXGXR-xFA/UxFXZb-YszI/AAAAAAAAGAI/1jJnPsMVV2M/s1600/allnew.png" height="320" width="210" /></a></div><strong>18. </strong><strong>All New X-Men</strong> (<em>Brian Michael Bendis &amp; Stuart Immonen</em>) - Time travel has been a staple to the X-Men titles for a long time now, so when Bendis decided to bring the original five X-Men into the current timeline, it seemed like a no-brainer, but it made for a really interesting dynamic.&nbsp; I love the interactions between the originals and the new X-Men, particularly when it comes to a young Scott Summers and the long-dead Jean Grey.&nbsp; It will be interesting to see where this title goes now, with the X-Men so fractured, but it seems that Bendis' creativity knows no bounds, so I'm not worried in the least.<br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>17. </strong><strong>Young Miss Holmes</strong> (<em>Kaoru Shintani</em>) - The final volume of Shintani's&nbsp;fun manga following Sherlock's smart and proper niece, and the mysteries that she helps him solve, ends the series&nbsp;with a bang, tying in to her family and raising the stakes substantially.&nbsp; Mysteries abound in this thrilling book, illustrated beautifully, and packed full of action and intrigue.<br /><strong></strong><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZP7t53mN2fo/UxFYhVtxpBI/AAAAAAAAGAU/LCr42gBq5MA/s1600/AttackOnTitanVol6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZP7t53mN2fo/UxFYhVtxpBI/AAAAAAAAGAU/LCr42gBq5MA/s1600/AttackOnTitanVol6.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div><strong>16. </strong><strong>Attack On Titan</strong> (<em>Hajime Isayama</em>) - The twists keep coming in this post-apocalyptic story about the remnants of humanity surviving behind walls that keep out man-eating giants.&nbsp; This series is bloody and action-packed, and utterly nail-biting as things really go awry.&nbsp; There is plenty of mystery in this series to keep readers coming back for more, between some pretty amazing action sequences.<br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>15. Smurfs </strong>(<em>Peyo</em>) - The Smurfs continue to get into mischief in these ridiculously cheap Papercutz editions of Peyo's <strong>Smurfs</strong> stories.&nbsp; With Christmas specials and new smurfs coming into the mix, the stories continue to feel fresh, while the all-ages tales keep consistently entertaining.<br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>14. </strong><strong>The Strange Tale of Panorama Island</strong> (<em>Suehiro Maruo</em>) - This story is a little odd, but I like that.&nbsp; Hitomi is a misunderstood novelist who fakes his death to take the place of an heir who recently died.&nbsp; Using the heir's fortune, he makes his wildest dreams come to life on a pleasure&nbsp;island, where people can take strolls under the sea, frolic with beautiful women, and enjoy some breathtaking scenery.&nbsp; A lot of this book is just a tour through the island at the end, but there's quite a bit of tension leading up to that as well, and frankly, Maruo's art is the major draw here, as it is phenomenal.&nbsp; Very realistic and lush.<br /><strong></strong><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-igf_6dw7ICY/UxFZftS2hMI/AAAAAAAAGAo/L0YW-6-ek1E/s1600/vinland.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-igf_6dw7ICY/UxFZftS2hMI/AAAAAAAAGAo/L0YW-6-ek1E/s1600/vinland.jpg" height="320" width="227" /></a></div><strong>13. </strong><strong>Vinland Saga</strong> (<em>Makoto Yukimura</em>) - This truly is a saga, featuring castles being stormed by waves of Viking warriors, ambushed ships at sea, and challenges of one-on-one combat.&nbsp; Vinland Saga tells the story of Vikings as they wage war and make merry, but also a look at their everyday lives, and tragic, bloody history.&nbsp; Yukimura's artwork is clear and well-suited for this historical action story, moving the events along cinematically, and sweeping readers up in its grandeur.<br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>12. Gunnerkrigg Court (Volume 4): Materia </strong>(<em>Thomas Siddell</em>) - While this is the weakest entry in the <strong>Gunnerkrigg Court</strong> series of all-ages fantasy comics, it's still an imaginative, entertaining read.&nbsp; Thomas Siddell's pencils continues to grow as do his characters, who seem much more mature than when we started out with them.&nbsp; Siddell continues to build on the mythology he's created in a&nbsp; spectacular series with characters that are hard to forget.<br /><strong></strong><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xL7m37fhjlk/UxFZ2c8AzTI/AAAAAAAAGAw/RJ_r7bgNo3A/s1600/eastwest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xL7m37fhjlk/UxFZ2c8AzTI/AAAAAAAAGAw/RJ_r7bgNo3A/s1600/eastwest.jpg" height="320" width="210" /></a></div><strong>11. East of West </strong>(<em>Jonathan Hickman &amp; Nick Dragotta</em>) - This is the four horsemen as you've never seen them before.&nbsp; Hickman creates a&nbsp;wild, steampunk world full of unique characters&nbsp;with conflicting agendas, making for great action scenes that Dragotta draws the hell out of.<br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>10. Love &amp; Rockets: New Stories #6 </strong>(<em>Jaime Hernandez &amp; Gilbert Hernandez</em>) - While Gilbert continues to offer a fascinating look into characters from his Palomar universe (and a weird short about a big-breasted furry monster and some magic boots), Jaime takes a look at a family dealing with a husband-killing mother, and flushes out some characters that usually don't get much of the spotlight.&nbsp; Terrific art, great character studies.<br /><br /><strong>9. </strong><strong>Hawkeye</strong> (<em>Matt Fraction, David Aja &amp; Various</em>) - This smart, street level superhero comic has a great cast of characters in what have come to be witty, thrilling&nbsp;stories.&nbsp; David Aja offers amazing artwork on this title, often with clever panel arrangements, while Fraction breathes life into Hawkeye and his fascinating supporting cast.<br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>8.&nbsp;</strong><strong>The Heart of Thomas</strong> (<em>Mato Hagio</em>) - We saw a collection of work released from Shojo master Mato Hagio a few years ago in <strong>Drunken Dreams and Other Stories</strong>, thanks to Fantagraphics, and now they've released perhaps her best known works.&nbsp; <strong>The Heart of Thomas </strong>is a mystery that takes place at a boys' board school in Germany, beginning with a suicide, and the beautiful boy who looks uncannily like the deceased.&nbsp; It's a haunting story,&nbsp;brimming with&nbsp;emotion and complex relationships between the boys, but it's Hagio's delicate breathtaking beautiful line work that really brings this story to another level altogether.<br /><strong></strong><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NA5bIcrksJo/UxFaG47AwpI/AAAAAAAAGA4/zdNgj5cCluY/s1600/pompeii.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NA5bIcrksJo/UxFaG47AwpI/AAAAAAAAGA4/zdNgj5cCluY/s1600/pompeii.jpg" height="320" width="247" /></a></div><strong>7. Pompeii </strong>(<em>Frank Santoro</em>) - Santoro can draw the hell out of a comic when he wants, but he seems more interested in experimenting with art and setting atmosphere and mood, something that makes <strong>Pompeii </strong>resonate so much.&nbsp; Revolving around the lives of an artist and his apprentice leading up to the catastrophic volcanic eruption that destroys a lively city, <strong>Pompeii</strong> paints a picture of very real characters caught up in their own lives before nature crushes them, and leaves quite an impression in its wake.<br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>6. </strong><strong>Benny Breakiron</strong> (<em>Peyo</em>) - From the creator of <strong>Smurfs </strong>comes the story of a boy with superpowers, if anyone would believe him!&nbsp; Thwarting thieves, and helping those in need, Benny Breakiron is a mischievous kid who is a magnet for trouble, so it's a good things that he's strong and fast (except when he has a cold, that is).&nbsp; This is a funny all-ages title with captivating stories that anyone&nbsp;can fall in love with.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cdECNwvjb0Y/UxFaoO1TFDI/AAAAAAAAGBI/4EGqz-KbscQ/s1600/hilda.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cdECNwvjb0Y/UxFaoO1TFDI/AAAAAAAAGBI/4EGqz-KbscQ/s1600/hilda.jpg" height="320" width="235" /></a></div><strong>5. Hilda and the Bird Parade </strong>(<em>Luke Pearson</em>) - The blue-haired Hilda moves to the city with her mother and finds herself depressed, given that she's used to the nature spirits and magical creatures of the countryside.&nbsp; But Hilda finds her own magic in the city in the latest graphic novel from Luke Pearson, whose all-ages comic is drawn beautifully, with great designs and lush backgrounds and panels.<br /><br /><strong>4. </strong><strong>Wolverine &amp; the X-Men</strong> (<em>Jason Aaron, Nick Bradshaw, Chris Bachalo &amp; Various</em>) - This wacky series featuring Wolverine's school for mutants is a highlight for me every time it comes out.&nbsp; I never know what to expect, aside from quality.&nbsp; I love the vast cast of characters, particularly the students created especially for this series.&nbsp; It really is one of the most unique superhero comics to come along in awhile, and it's going to be sad to see Jason Aaron leave the title next year.<br /><strong></strong><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TUVM5y4Gp3c/UxFbog0DkWI/AAAAAAAAGBU/KhA_Gh3sKsw/s1600/AngelFaith25Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TUVM5y4Gp3c/UxFbog0DkWI/AAAAAAAAGBU/KhA_Gh3sKsw/s1600/AngelFaith25Cover.jpg" height="320" width="207" /></a></div><strong>3. </strong><strong>Angel &amp; Faith</strong> (<em>Christos Gage &amp; Rebekah Isaacs</em>) - Overshadowing the main book in the <strong>Buffy, the Vampire Slayer:&nbsp;Season Nine</strong> universe, this shockingly high quality title features great art from Isaacs, who make the characters we know and love her own, and stories that flush out the best of the characters, delving into the pasts of these conflicted, layered characters, on their path to redemption.<br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>2. </strong><strong>The Twin Knights</strong> (<em>Osamu Tezuka</em>) - This sequel to Tezuka's groundbreaking <strong>Princess Knight </strong>offers readers a sweeping epic story of love, betrayal and&nbsp;another princess pretending to be a prince for the sake of&nbsp;her kingdom!&nbsp; Magic and assassins conspire to keep Princess Violetta from her twin brother, and&nbsp;threaten to destroy her family,&nbsp;in this romantic, action-packed story.<br /><strong></strong><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SQEGNOPHQh4/UxFbuHJ98mI/AAAAAAAAGBc/4HzDlwLLCQg/s1600/KITARO_cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SQEGNOPHQh4/UxFbuHJ98mI/AAAAAAAAGBc/4HzDlwLLCQg/s1600/KITARO_cover.jpg" height="320" width="235" /></a></div><strong>1. </strong><strong>Kitaro</strong> (<em>Shigeru Mizuki</em>) - Shieru Mizuki is known for specializing in stories about yokai, and this collection really showcases his strength in that area.&nbsp; A Japanese pop culture figure, Kataro is a one-eyed monster boy with special powers, and a knack for dealing with pesky yokai.&nbsp; Mizuki weaves wonderful stories here, full of monsters and demons, some genuinely creepy with images that will stay with you, and others more light-hearted and funny.&nbsp; This impressive omnibus edition that Drawn &amp; Quarterly has released is the perfect introduction to this rambunctious character and the crazy&nbsp;life he leads, earning the title of my favorite comic of the year.http://comics-and-more.blogspot.com/2014/02/top-20-comics-of-2013.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Dave Ferraro)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13602789.post-487383587495090596Fri, 03 Jan 2014 05:10:00 +00002014-01-02T23:10:02.780-06:00Best Manga of 20132013 saw a lot of great manga,&nbsp;from beautifully packaged products featuring classic manga masters, to&nbsp;excellent volumes of new ongoing titles.&nbsp; It's always hard to narrow down my favorites to just ten books, but I've done just that in the following list.&nbsp; The top books on this list will also be featured in my forthcoming overall best comics of 2013 list.&nbsp; <br /><br />So, in my opinion, these are the best manga that the year had to offer...<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JQ96M7fZscY/UsZE5piTSdI/AAAAAAAAF_M/uibbsy6U-ew/s1600/KITARO_cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JQ96M7fZscY/UsZE5piTSdI/AAAAAAAAF_M/uibbsy6U-ew/s320/KITARO_cover.jpg" width="235" /></a></div><strong>1.&nbsp; Kitaro</strong> (<em>Shigeru Mizuki</em>) - Shieru Mizuki is known for specializing in stories about yokai, and this collection really showcases his strength in that area.&nbsp; A Japanese pop culture figure, Kataro is a one-eyed monster boy with special powers, and a knack for dealing with pesky yokai.&nbsp; Mizuki weaves wonderful stories here, full of monsters and demons, some genuinely creepy with images that will stay with you, and others more light-hearted and funny.&nbsp; This impressive omnibus edition that Drawn &amp; Quarterly has released is the perfect introduction to this rambunctious character and the crazy&nbsp;life he leads, and easily fits the bill for best manga of the year.<br /><br /><strong>2.&nbsp; The Twin Knights</strong> (<em>Osamu Tezuka</em>) - A follow up to the classic <strong>Princess Knight</strong>, Tezuka once again forces a heroine into men's clothing as two twins are separated at birth and a kingdom is at stake.&nbsp; Like <strong>Princess Knight</strong>, this story is epic, and takes readers on a magical journey through different landscapes, meeting all sorts of strange people, before culminating in a breath-taking climax.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-B-7CSFRW2f4/UsZFHRDpC_I/AAAAAAAAF_U/KO0_KEpMnKw/s1600/heart-of-thomas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-B-7CSFRW2f4/UsZFHRDpC_I/AAAAAAAAF_U/KO0_KEpMnKw/s320/heart-of-thomas.jpg" width="216" /></a></div><strong>3. &nbsp;The Heart of Thomas</strong> (<em>Mato Hagio</em>) - We saw a collection of work released from Shojo master Mato Hagio a few years ago in <strong>Drunken Dreams and Other Stories</strong>, thanks to Fantagraphics, and now they've released perhaps her best known works.&nbsp; <strong>The Heart of Thomas </strong>is a mystery that takes place at a boys' board school in Germany, beginning with a suicide, and the beautiful boy who looks uncannily like the deceased.&nbsp; It's a haunting story,&nbsp;brimming with&nbsp;emotion and complex relationships between the boys, but it's Hagio's delicate breathtaking beautiful line work that really brings this story to another level altogether.<br /><br /><strong>4.&nbsp; Vinland Saga</strong> (<em>Makoto Yukimura</em>) - This truly is a saga, featuring castles being stormed by waves of Viking warriors, ambushed ships at sea, and challenges of one-on-one combat.&nbsp; Vinland Saga tells the story of Vikings as they wage war and make merry, but also a look at their everyday lives, and tragic, bloody history.&nbsp; Yukimura's artwork is clear and well-suited for this historical action story, moving the events along cinematically, and sweeping readers up in its grandeur.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TCYMNLQuo48/UsZFY287hMI/AAAAAAAAF_c/R_bDI2ealFQ/s1600/panorama.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TCYMNLQuo48/UsZFY287hMI/AAAAAAAAF_c/R_bDI2ealFQ/s320/panorama.jpg" width="234" /></a></div><strong>5.&nbsp; The Strange Tale of Panorama Island</strong> (<em>Suehiro Maruo</em>) - This story is a little odd, but I like that.&nbsp; Hitomi is a misunderstood novelist who fakes his death to take the place of an heir who recently died.&nbsp; Using the heir's fortune, he makes his wildest dreams come to life on a pleasure&nbsp;island, where people can take strolls under the sea, frolic with beautiful women, and enjoy some breathtaking scenery.&nbsp; A lot of this book is just a tour through the island at the end, but there's quite a bit of tension leading up to that as well, and frankly, Maruo's art is the major draw here, as it is phenomenal.&nbsp; Very realistic and lush.<br /><br /><strong>6.&nbsp; Attack On Titan</strong> (<em>Hajime Isayama</em>) - The twists keep coming in this post-apocalyptic story about the remnants of humanity surviving behind walls that keep out man-eating giants.&nbsp; This series is bloody and action-packed, and utterly nail-biting as things really go awry.&nbsp; There is plenty of mystery in this series to keep readers coming back for more, between some pretty amazing action sequences.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bgfO0vdnzbo/UsZFvVFBVAI/AAAAAAAAF_k/nLE56vssbTE/s1600/youngmissholmes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bgfO0vdnzbo/UsZFvVFBVAI/AAAAAAAAF_k/nLE56vssbTE/s320/youngmissholmes.jpg" width="224" /></a></div><strong>7.&nbsp; Young Miss Holmes</strong> (<em>Kaoru Shintani</em>) - In Victorian London, Christie continues to help her uncle Sherlock Holmes crack some difficult cases, while balancing her hobby with becoming a real lady.&nbsp; Often very witty, and illustrated beautifully, this is a great mystery series that features plenty of action and unforgettable characters.<br /><br /><strong>8.&nbsp; Gold Pollen and Other Stories</strong> (<em>Seiichi Hayashi</em>) - This release from PictureBox showcases some lovely work from alternative manga artist Seiichi Hayashi, whose work we've seen previously in Drawn &amp; Quarterly's release,&nbsp;<strong>Red Colored Elegy</strong>.&nbsp; There are four stories collected here, with Hayashi experimenting with his style for different experiences with each.&nbsp; I love Hayashi's use of color, especially when it's used sparsely in the later stories, although my favorite of the four offerings is the one full-color story, "Dwelling in Flowers," examining a relationship between mother and son.&nbsp; I didn't really&nbsp;care for&nbsp;"Yamanba Lullaby,"&nbsp;but otherwise, even the short "Red Dragonfly" was a moving short work.&nbsp; Hayashi is very subtle about things, which I like, and the stories feel more real because of it.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YSTubqnNrow/UsZF-OinlKI/AAAAAAAAF_s/IjOp8wFqe1s/s1600/Carriger_SoullessV3_TP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YSTubqnNrow/UsZF-OinlKI/AAAAAAAAF_s/IjOp8wFqe1s/s320/Carriger_SoullessV3_TP.jpg" width="222" /></a></div><strong>9.&nbsp; Soulless</strong> (<em>Gail Carriger &amp; Rem</em>) - Continuing the adaptation of Gail Carriger's novels, Rem illustrates the lush environments of Victorian England in this steampunk series, transporting readers to this world with stunning, detailed illustrations.&nbsp; Alexia keeps getting into trouble with supernaturals in this book full of conspiracies and the politics of vampires and werewolves in a very proper society.<br /><br /><strong>10. Atomcat</strong> (<em>Osamu Tezuka</em>) - This all-ages title from master Osamu Tezuka brings his most famous creation to the limelight again, in an unusual way.&nbsp; Tsugio, who is bullied at school, takes refuge in the Astro Boy stories he reads with his father, and when he takes in a kitten with a slight resemblance to Astro Boy, circumstances lead to the cat's alteration into a super kitten, protecting Tsugio from bullies on all sorts of adventures.&nbsp; This book is lots of fun.&nbsp; Cute and heartfelt, and perfect for manga fans of any age.<br /><br /><u>Honorable Mentions</u><br /><strong>The Mysterious Underground Men </strong>(<em>Osamu Tezuka</em>)<br /><strong>Sunny </strong>(<em>Taiyo Matsumoto</em>)<br /><strong>Triton of the Sea </strong>(<em>Osamu Tezuka</em>)<br /><strong>Wandering Son </strong>(<em>Shimura Takako</em>)<br /><strong>Yotsuba&amp;! </strong>(<em>Kiyohiko Azuma</em>)http://comics-and-more.blogspot.com/2014/01/best-manga-of-2013.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Dave Ferraro)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13602789.post-4645500717839961809Mon, 30 Dec 2013 04:43:00 +00002013-12-29T22:43:53.444-06:00Best Covers of 2013I'm sure that I'm missing some great comic book covers, but these are some of the best that I recall seeing throughout the year.&nbsp; Feel free to leave a comment if you know of any that I missed!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wLsTkE2R0N8/Ur-3atpEK8I/AAAAAAAAF74/7dhJGWExo84/s1600/febles134.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wLsTkE2R0N8/Ur-3atpEK8I/AAAAAAAAF74/7dhJGWExo84/s320/febles134.jpg" width="208" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RjS87iJAfyc/Ur-3d0VoSCI/AAAAAAAAF8A/ejMwpmBy-WU/s1600/breathofbones3-666x1024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RjS87iJAfyc/Ur-3d0VoSCI/AAAAAAAAF8A/ejMwpmBy-WU/s320/breathofbones3-666x1024.jpg" width="208" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-V-75XqUWdYE/Ur-3fcz1n4I/AAAAAAAAF8I/RJ4arlbmkxc/s1600/darkhorsepresents21-665x1024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-V-75XqUWdYE/Ur-3fcz1n4I/AAAAAAAAF8I/RJ4arlbmkxc/s320/darkhorsepresents21-665x1024.jpg" width="207" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FdUtyvGQ0eE/Ur-3iLsGpZI/AAAAAAAAF8Q/5V_I5h0fHq4/s1600/feardefend2013004cov_02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FdUtyvGQ0eE/Ur-3iLsGpZI/AAAAAAAAF8Q/5V_I5h0fHq4/s320/feardefend2013004cov_02.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Tv1rtlZDDbQ/Ur-3nC5dR5I/AAAAAAAAF8Y/U2NiDuFU50U/s1600/SavageWolverine_1_Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Tv1rtlZDDbQ/Ur-3nC5dR5I/AAAAAAAAF8Y/U2NiDuFU50U/s320/SavageWolverine_1_Cover.jpg" width="208" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-V-QIw7WZ5pY/Ur-3pHj0B2I/AAAAAAAAF8g/v634TltrrVU/s1600/gamma1-666x1024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-V-QIw7WZ5pY/Ur-3pHj0B2I/AAAAAAAAF8g/v634TltrrVU/s320/gamma1-666x1024.jpg" width="208" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dq-tK371WJA/Ur-3qrimUDI/AAAAAAAAF8o/L9lmt2B3i3o/s1600/emeraldoz2013001_var_02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dq-tK371WJA/Ur-3qrimUDI/AAAAAAAAF8o/L9lmt2B3i3o/s320/emeraldoz2013001_var_02.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9rS98xmiRR8/Ur-3vC281GI/AAAAAAAAF8w/LOq57_kHsvc/s1600/saga.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9rS98xmiRR8/Ur-3vC281GI/AAAAAAAAF8w/LOq57_kHsvc/s320/saga.jpg" width="208" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Spi2A4UrvQM/Ur-3xhsafSI/AAAAAAAAF84/Zwr4NuuaKYk/s1600/capmarv2012012_cov_02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Spi2A4UrvQM/Ur-3xhsafSI/AAAAAAAAF84/Zwr4NuuaKYk/s320/capmarv2012012_cov_02.jpg" width="210" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_FawZ-_ibI4/Ur-30NsT-8I/AAAAAAAAF9A/igjIh_-AcE0/s1600/fables128-666x1024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_FawZ-_ibI4/Ur-30NsT-8I/AAAAAAAAF9A/igjIh_-AcE0/s320/fables128-666x1024.jpg" width="208" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IWyGHgtYwY4/Ur-33UzGOaI/AAAAAAAAF9I/hdcZjmP4Xhw/s1600/infintiy_001_young_var.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IWyGHgtYwY4/Ur-33UzGOaI/AAAAAAAAF9I/hdcZjmP4Xhw/s320/infintiy_001_young_var.jpg" width="208" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ml6CcvOOzPs/Ur-35N7RjUI/AAAAAAAAF9Q/WyU9lilEyvo/s1600/captainmarvel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ml6CcvOOzPs/Ur-35N7RjUI/AAAAAAAAF9Q/WyU9lilEyvo/s320/captainmarvel.jpg" width="210" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iUPndUiVOXc/Ur-39Amo8_I/AAAAAAAAF9g/iCtPqJMNRxU/s1600/lilicarreadvtime.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iUPndUiVOXc/Ur-39Amo8_I/AAAAAAAAF9g/iCtPqJMNRxU/s320/lilicarreadvtime.jpg" width="207" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3vMWOmMimDA/Ur-4BDr3MQI/AAAAAAAAF9o/3dUHT0xvWYI/s1600/theunwritten48-666x1024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3vMWOmMimDA/Ur-4BDr3MQI/AAAAAAAAF9o/3dUHT0xvWYI/s320/theunwritten48-666x1024.jpg" width="208" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7bYZQdT_uvo/Ur-4EQPssRI/AAAAAAAAF9w/U3VT9Qdg3-U/s1600/fearlessdefenders8-763x1024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7bYZQdT_uvo/Ur-4EQPssRI/AAAAAAAAF9w/U3VT9Qdg3-U/s320/fearlessdefenders8-763x1024.jpg" width="238" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9aoxMNqCQc8/Ur-4GXPpFVI/AAAAAAAAF94/xlFL3au1CfM/s1600/willow5-665x1024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9aoxMNqCQc8/Ur-4GXPpFVI/AAAAAAAAF94/xlFL3au1CfM/s320/willow5-665x1024.jpg" width="207" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PFiXUtiwmUQ/Ur-4JVnHqXI/AAAAAAAAF-A/85kf5N0-ATE/s1600/youngins.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PFiXUtiwmUQ/Ur-4JVnHqXI/AAAAAAAAF-A/85kf5N0-ATE/s320/youngins.jpg" width="208" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nwQg0kOYsOc/Ur-4UyKvrNI/AAAAAAAAF-Y/kKj4dlUNmK4/s320/tumblr_mc1psobYqw1r55wi9o2_1280.jpg" width="208" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-106f6uL7OyU/Ur-5mOPk9RI/AAAAAAAAF-8/00n5l-XxMGE/s1600/fairest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-106f6uL7OyU/Ur-5mOPk9RI/AAAAAAAAF-8/00n5l-XxMGE/s320/fairest.jpg" width="216" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JmOca-8JdZE/Ur-4YLmGPLI/AAAAAAAAF-g/YqduQ2ZUx_Q/s1600/theunwritten50-666x1024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JmOca-8JdZE/Ur-4YLmGPLI/AAAAAAAAF-g/YqduQ2ZUx_Q/s320/theunwritten50-666x1024.jpg" width="208" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0kQ8syn7cUE/Ur-4fKt6mPI/AAAAAAAAF-w/A5ipKpwvVP0/s1600/godzilla13-1024x786.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="245" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0kQ8syn7cUE/Ur-4fKt6mPI/AAAAAAAAF-w/A5ipKpwvVP0/s320/godzilla13-1024x786.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div align="center">﻿</div>http://comics-and-more.blogspot.com/2013/12/best-covers-of-2013.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Dave Ferraro)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13602789.post-2588185479279897987Sat, 28 Dec 2013 23:38:00 +00002013-12-28T17:38:07.336-06:00Best Superhero Comics of 2013It's that time of year again to look back at the best that the year has brought us.&nbsp; Of course there are titles that I didn't get&nbsp;a chance to check out that may have been included if I had, but that's how it goes.&nbsp; I can't read everything (sorry, <strong>Spectacular Spider-Man</strong>).&nbsp;&nbsp;These are my ten favorite superhero comics from 2013, the top of which will also be featured on my&nbsp;forthcoming best comics of the year list.&nbsp; This is purely my opinion, so obviously people will not agree with me on all of these titles, and that's cool.&nbsp; Many lists I find out there certainly make me scratch my head. &nbsp;Anyways, this is meant to point you toward enjoyable material that you may have missed this year, and I hope you enjoy it.&nbsp; If you've read some superhero comics that you think others may enjoy as well, please feel free to mention them in the comments!!<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5OGsSUIPpeY/Ur9dnB5ekvI/AAAAAAAAF7A/35E2-6-xRj4/s1600/angelfaith.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5OGsSUIPpeY/Ur9dnB5ekvI/AAAAAAAAF7A/35E2-6-xRj4/s320/angelfaith.jpg" width="206" /></a><strong>1. Angel &amp; Faith</strong> (<em>Christos Gage &amp; Rebekah Isaacs</em>) - <strong>Buffy the Vampire Slayer </strong>was overshadowed during season nine by this consistently entertaining comic book featuring Buffy's former flame Angel, and bad-slayer-gone-good Faith.&nbsp; The two have a great dynamic, with plenty of things to haunt them from their pasts as they attempt to resurrect Rupert Giles, who was killed at the end of Buffy's Season Eight, by Angel's hands.&nbsp; Their is a lot of atoning for these character to do in this series, and storyarc after storyarc has been shockingly high quality, culminating in a fight that brought all of the plotlines to an epic finale.&nbsp; Isaacs really managed to make the characters her own without seeming to reference the actors overly much, while Gage played to the more interesting demons in the characters' lives.&nbsp; This was one hell of a run, and one that will be sorely missed.<br /><br /><strong>2. Wolverine &amp; the X-Men</strong> (<em>Jason Aaron, Nick Bradshaw, Chris Bachalo &amp; Various</em>) - This wacky series featuring Wolverine's school for mutants is a highlight for me every time it comes out.&nbsp; I never know what to expect, aside from quality.&nbsp; I love the vast cast of characters, particularly the students created especially for this series.&nbsp; It really is one of the most unique superhero comics to come along in awhile, and I can't get enough of&nbsp;it.<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dA7CkK5HNUU/Ur9eGRUr_HI/AAAAAAAAF7I/Y1LjTlLdaQU/s1600/hawkeye.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dA7CkK5HNUU/Ur9eGRUr_HI/AAAAAAAAF7I/Y1LjTlLdaQU/s320/hawkeye.jpg" width="209" /></a><strong>3. Hawkeye</strong> (<em>Matt Fraction, David Aja &amp; Various</em>) - This smart, street level superhero comic has a great cast of characters in what have come to be witty, thrilling&nbsp;stories.&nbsp; David Aja offers amazing artwork on this title, often with clever panel arrangements, while Fraction breathes life into Hawkeye and his fascinating supporting cast.<br /><br /><strong>4. All New X-Men</strong> (<em>Brian Michael Bendis &amp; Stuart Immonen</em>) - Time travel has been a staple to the X-Men titles for a long time now, so when Bendis decided to bring the original five X-Men into the current timeline, it seemed like a no-brainer, but it made for a really interesting dynamic.&nbsp; I love the interactions between the originals and the new X-Men, particularly when it comes to a young Scott Summers and the long-dead Jean Grey.&nbsp; It will be interesting to see where this title goes now, given the ending of <strong>Battle of the Atom</strong>, but it seems that Bendis' creativity knows no bounds, so I'm not worried in the least.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eggYru6w48o/Ur9fIed23OI/AAAAAAAAF7U/6wdb5JEVSh0/s1600/ww20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eggYru6w48o/Ur9fIed23OI/AAAAAAAAF7U/6wdb5JEVSh0/s320/ww20.jpg" width="208" /></a></div><strong>5. Wonder Woman</strong> (<em>Brian Azzarello, Cliff Chiang &amp; Tony Akins</em>) - <strong>Wonder Woman</strong> is the only DC Comic that remotely stands out from the others currently.&nbsp; Azzarello has breathed new life into the title with his unique pantheon of gods, and Wonder Woman's place among them.&nbsp; Meanwhile, the art is top-notch and not the cookie cutter 90's art that seems to plague DC's other 51 titles, keeping this title fresh and relevant, while the rest of DC flags.<br /><br /><strong>6. Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Nine</strong> (<em>Andrew Chambliss,</em> <em>Georges Jeanty, Jane Espenson &amp; Various</em>) - Joss Whedon's season nine of <strong>Buffy the Vampire Slayer</strong> was much more successful than season eight, which relied heavily on fan-favorite character appearances and an awkward transition into the new status quo.&nbsp; In season nine, Buffy gets into situations that really show off what a great character she is, from her stint with Kennedy as a bodyguard, to saving the world by fighting demons alongside other demons, such as Illyria.&nbsp; It all culminates into an epic battle that sees repercussions from the season eight finale, offering a satisfying conclusion to quite a roller coaster ride of emotions.<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-g1aKU-Uu-5U/Ur9fjoL-OgI/AAAAAAAAF7c/LvywJ7ZWPtE/s1600/mscsi.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-g1aKU-Uu-5U/Ur9fjoL-OgI/AAAAAAAAF7c/LvywJ7ZWPtE/s320/mscsi.png" width="211" /></a><strong>7. My So-Called Secret Identity </strong>(<em>Will Brooker, Sarah Zaidan &amp; Susan Shore</em>) - This on-line superhero comic is a lot of fun.&nbsp; It's very down-to-earth, with plenty of humor injected into the story, poking fun at tropes from mainstream superhero comics, as well as offering up its own social commentary.&nbsp; This is a smart book with a lot of heart, and a fantastic female protagonist in Cat.&nbsp; She has an interesting supporting cast in what is a very fresh series.&nbsp; Check it out <a href="http://www.mysocalledsecretidentity.com/archive">here</a>.<br /><br /><strong>8. Avengers</strong> (<em>Jonathan Hickman, Jerome Opena &amp; Various</em>) - Hickman's <strong>Avengers</strong> is very epic in scope, and feels very majestic.&nbsp; I love how so many different characters, of varying power sets, are featured in this title, which saw a culmination of events in the mega crossover event <strong>Infinity</strong>.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m2LxQr9FE_w/Ur9glPdiIaI/AAAAAAAAF7o/06rtaL9kycw/s1600/battle.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="247" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m2LxQr9FE_w/Ur9glPdiIaI/AAAAAAAAF7o/06rtaL9kycw/s320/battle.png" width="320" /></a></div><strong>9. X-Men: Battle of the Atom</strong> (<em>Brian Michael Bendis, Brian Wood, Jason Aaron, Frank Cho, Stuart Immonen &amp; Various</em>) - This is a crossover event that exploded across the pages of various X-Men titles, in which a group of X-Men from the future come back to the present day to force the original X-Men back to their original timeline.&nbsp; There are all sorts of fun battles between various X-Men, with plenty of twists and turns to keep things interesting.<br /><br /><strong>10. Captain America</strong> (<em>Rick Remender &amp; John Romita Jr.</em>) - Rick Remender definitely brought new flavor to Cap when he trapped him in Dimension Z, where he built a life in a hard world.&nbsp; Full of strange creatures and post-apocalyptic landscapes, this is a dark chapter in the life of Steve Rogers, but it is utterly inventive and exciting, rendered all the more beautiful by Romita's pencils.<br /><br /><u>Honorable Mentions</u><br /><strong>Glory </strong>(<em>Joe Keatinge &amp; Ross Campbell</em>)<br /><strong>Uncanny Avengers </strong>(<em>Rick Remender, John Cassaday &amp; Various</em>)<br /><strong>Uncanny X-Men</strong> (<em>Brian Michael Bendis, Chris Bachalo &amp; Various)</em>http://comics-and-more.blogspot.com/2013/12/best-superhero-comics-of-2013.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Dave Ferraro)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13602789.post-5347029006195079562Sat, 14 Dec 2013 06:57:00 +00002013-12-14T00:57:36.989-06:00Best in Music 2013The following are my favorite songs and albums of 2013, another great year in music. For songs, I kept it to one song per artist to feature the most talent, and overall, it makes for one hell of a mixed CD if anyone's looking for some great tunes. I do tend to gravitate toward female singers, but there are some guys in there to mix it up. Enjoy!<br /><br /><strong><u>10 Best Albums of 2013</u></strong><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jpqZIoxAECQ/UqvhfxbTAHI/AAAAAAAAF4g/M8Nt4IhjRX4/s1600/aa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jpqZIoxAECQ/UqvhfxbTAHI/AAAAAAAAF4g/M8Nt4IhjRX4/s320/aa.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><strong>1. "Water in a Whale" by Jillette Johnson </strong>- Jillette Johnson is an amazing talent.&nbsp; She has a fantastic voice, which is showcased beautifully in songs like "Heathen," where she can really let it out.&nbsp; But just as impressive as her powerful vocals is her songwriting.&nbsp; She has very insightful, clever lyrics and composes stunning melodies.&nbsp; And she's bold enough to have created a song such as "Cameron" for her debut album, about a transgendered person, bringing to question themes of identity.&nbsp; Johnson shows a lot of different sides of herself in this CD, and even though it's her debut album, I can honestly say that I've enjoyed this more than any other CD this year.<br /><br />Key Tracks: <em>Flood the Ocean, Peter Pan, Basset Hound, Heathen, <strong>17</strong></em><br /><strong></strong><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GCnWwB3yXLQ/Uqvhm0FAXLI/AAAAAAAAF4o/IPl-KwoeDYI/s1600/ab.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GCnWwB3yXLQ/Uqvhm0FAXLI/AAAAAAAAF4o/IPl-KwoeDYI/s320/ab.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><strong>2. "Back To Forever" by Lissie </strong>- Lissie blew people away with her debut album "Catching a Tiger," featuring "Record Collector," but she's really outdone herself with her new CD, "Back To Forever," in which she crafts a stunning album of fantastic rock tracks.&nbsp; When you listen to this album, it feels like an instant classic, with Lissie belting out the choruses of songs like the fantastic "The Habit," daring you to sing along at the top of your lungs.&nbsp;&nbsp;On the other hand, she can&nbsp;break your soul with heartfelt lyrics that speak of truth.&nbsp; Lissie is on top of her game here.<br /><br />Key Tracks: <em><strong>The Habit</strong>, Further Away (Romance Police), They All Want You, I Bet One You, Can't Take It Back</em><br /><strong></strong><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oA0iCI0TEHc/Uqvhqx4ojUI/AAAAAAAAF4w/4zxifwl-kzc/s1600/ac.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oA0iCI0TEHc/Uqvhqx4ojUI/AAAAAAAAF4w/4zxifwl-kzc/s320/ac.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><strong>3. "Gravel &amp; Wine" by Gin Wigmore </strong>- And speaking of great rock albums, Gin Wigmore has created a real winner in "Gravel &amp; Wine," where she belts out her gravelly voice to classic-sounding tunes that speak of vices and strength.&nbsp; This is an album that more people should know about, because I think Wigmore could find a real audience with her empowering rock songs that are just shockingly well-constructed.<br /><br />Key Tracks: <em>Black Sheep, <strong>Man Like That</strong>, Kill of the Night, Devil In Me</em><br /><strong></strong><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7jvtLGcI03c/Uqvhu2HKxcI/AAAAAAAAF44/KUfb96Twqs0/s1600/ad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7jvtLGcI03c/Uqvhu2HKxcI/AAAAAAAAF44/KUfb96Twqs0/s320/ad.jpg" width="316" /></a></div><br /><strong>4. "Stars Dance" by Selena Gomez </strong>- This is a stunning pop album.&nbsp; Great dance songs abound on this CD, while&nbsp;ballads showcase Gomez' surprisingly strong voice.&nbsp; There isn't a song on here that isn't catchy, and most will be near impossible to get out of your head.<br /><br />Key Tracks: <em><strong>Slow Down</strong>, Stars Dance, Come &amp; Get It</em><br /><strong></strong><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-I4Hfbe4hXy4/Uqvhy0zM7fI/AAAAAAAAF5A/dVx1ZVqlnEc/s1600/ae.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-I4Hfbe4hXy4/Uqvhy0zM7fI/AAAAAAAAF5A/dVx1ZVqlnEc/s320/ae.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><strong>5. "Modern Romantics" by Adaline </strong>- Adaline has created a&nbsp;sophisticated pop album here, with dark imagery and wonderfully unique sounds.&nbsp; Many of the tracks are haunting, with thoughtful lyrics, while others will get you tapping your feet happily.&nbsp; Great range is demonstrated&nbsp;here, and I'm excited to see what&nbsp;Adaline comes up with next, if she can manage to top this grade A album.<br /><br />Key Tracks: <em><strong>Keep Me High</strong>, Lovers Collide, Stereo</em><br /><strong></strong><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eWOh4DA9HiQ/Uqvh3_ZXnCI/AAAAAAAAF5I/tiP9O6X00w4/s1600/af.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eWOh4DA9HiQ/Uqvh3_ZXnCI/AAAAAAAAF5I/tiP9O6X00w4/s320/af.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><strong>6. "ARTPOP" by Lady Gaga </strong>- Lady Gaga is a true artist.&nbsp; She's experimenting with the medium here, to varying levels of success, but what she ends up with is a unique record full of songs that are ten times more interesting than most anything you hear on the radio.&nbsp; She uses some great sounds in songs like "ARTPOP" for futuristic beats, and even makes a great rap song in "Jewels N' Drugs."&nbsp; She's trying to say something about art, pushing&nbsp;herself to grow&nbsp;in the process.&nbsp; This is entertaining, and it's artpop.<br /><br />Key Tracks: <em>MANiCURE, Do What You Want (featuring R. Kelly), <strong>ARTPOP</strong></em><br /><strong></strong><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MkWdIvGUvsk/Uqvh8KNACsI/AAAAAAAAF5Q/rSLNzg0tKRA/s1600/ag.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MkWdIvGUvsk/Uqvh8KNACsI/AAAAAAAAF5Q/rSLNzg0tKRA/s320/ag.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><strong>7. "Black Bear" by Andrew Belle </strong>- Andrew Belle is a master of mood.&nbsp; He uses his voice and a great layering of sounds that often build toward an epic finale, that just get under your skin and make you <em>feel </em>what he's trying to get across.&nbsp; Sometimes I can't even tell what he's saying, but it doesn't really matter with the beautiful music he's making here.<br /><br />Key Tracks: <em>Pieces, <strong>Sister</strong>, The Enemy</em><br /><strong></strong><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-d8G7NeD09OA/UqviAKk6J3I/AAAAAAAAF5Y/Ai-UC2uTRkE/s1600/ah.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="304" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-d8G7NeD09OA/UqviAKk6J3I/AAAAAAAAF5Y/Ai-UC2uTRkE/s320/ah.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><strong>8. "Arrows" by Polly Scattergood </strong>- Polly has a very distinct sound, ethereal and breathy.&nbsp; It makes you feel like you're in a dream or Alice down the rabbit hole, lost in a beautiful fog.&nbsp; Scattergood's lyrics can borderline cheesy sometimes, but her unique sound more than makes up for any shortcomings.<br /><br />Key Tracks: <em><strong>Falling</strong>, Subsequently Lost, Silver Lining</em><br /><strong></strong><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5-oPbgg53vE/UqviE-uSu1I/AAAAAAAAF5g/--lVKa7NlO8/s1600/ai.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5-oPbgg53vE/UqviE-uSu1I/AAAAAAAAF5g/--lVKa7NlO8/s320/ai.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><strong>9. "Bangerz" by Miley Cyrus </strong>- Publicity stunts aside,&nbsp;good girl gone bad&nbsp;Miley Cyrus knows how to craft an amazing pop album.&nbsp; Her songs are catchy as hell, and she speaks to her audience with power anthems about independence and partying, as well as showing a more vulnerable side of herself when she sets aside the bass.<br /><br />Key Tracks: <em>We Can't Stop, <strong>Wrecking Ball</strong>, Someone Else</em><br /><strong></strong><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Odi8Qga9kss/UqviKKJbMDI/AAAAAAAAF5o/t26SPDfuikk/s1600/aj.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Odi8Qga9kss/UqviKKJbMDI/AAAAAAAAF5o/t26SPDfuikk/s320/aj.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><strong>10. "Push Play EP" by Miriam Bryant </strong>- Miriam Bryant commands attention on her EP with a strong voice and a sound that's reminiscent of Adele.&nbsp; She's not afraid to show off her range in dance songs with unique beats to moving soaring ballads.&nbsp; This is definitely an artist to watch.&nbsp; <br /><br />Key Tracks: <em>Finders Keepers, <strong>Push Play</strong>, Raised In Rain</em><br /><br /><u>Honorable Mentions</u><br /><strong>"The Bones of What You Believe" by CHVRCHES</strong><br /><strong>"Wake Me Up" by Mattanja Joy Bradley</strong><br /><strong>"Natalie Stovall and the Drive EP" by Natalie Stovall and the Drive</strong><br /><strong>"Guilty Pleas EP" by Night Terrors of 1927</strong><br /><strong>"Monochrome EP" by Parisa Louvel</strong><br /><br /><strong><u>30 Best Songs of 2013</u></strong><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-15Y97rYLPnk/Uqv_QCSQ6kI/AAAAAAAAF54/IyydvHixhro/s1600/ba.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-15Y97rYLPnk/Uqv_QCSQ6kI/AAAAAAAAF54/IyydvHixhro/s320/ba.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><strong>1. "Recover" by CHVRCHES </strong>- The electronic beat of this song leads into a breathless chorus that's unforgettable.&nbsp; It's hard as hell to get this song out of your head once you've heard it.&nbsp; It's a great synthetic sound that sets a new standard, and&nbsp;is easily my favorite song of the year.<br /><strong>&nbsp;</strong><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7bN92ibVCcA/Uqv_eTtyO2I/AAAAAAAAF6A/M7Ovd94XN1w/s1600/bb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7bN92ibVCcA/Uqv_eTtyO2I/AAAAAAAAF6A/M7Ovd94XN1w/s320/bb.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><strong>2. "Attracting Flies" by AlunaGeorge </strong>- Clever lyrics and a danceable sound make this a winner.&nbsp; I love the unique sounds that give this song that extra flair, hitting the song at&nbsp;just the right&nbsp;moments.<br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>3. "Sister" by Andrew Belle </strong>- This atmospheric single is a great showcase for Belle's crooning voice.&nbsp; I love how it builds toward the end, where the song kind of comes to a head.<br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>4. "Young and Beautiful" by Lana Del Rey </strong>- A haunting sound set to Lana's beautiful voice makes this a song hard to forget.&nbsp; The strings and drums accent this song perfectly.<br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>5. "Looking Around" by Kate Tucker &amp; The Sons of Sweden </strong>- I've been waiting for a new song from this band for awhile, and they sure didn't disappoint.&nbsp; The simple lyrics bring honest truths to the surface, with a beautiful melody that Kate Tucker croons through with her lovely voice.<br /><strong></strong><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HSFHxHNfRwY/Uqv_zk1FMOI/AAAAAAAAF6I/r4ruU5Rx8Rs/s1600/bc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HSFHxHNfRwY/Uqv_zk1FMOI/AAAAAAAAF6I/r4ruU5Rx8Rs/s320/bc.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><strong>6. "Hold On" by Lewis Watson </strong>- I love the organic sound of this single, and that sound like wooden blocks being struck that adds an extra interesting layer to the song.<br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>7. "Wild Country" by Wake Owl </strong>- I love this folksy song.&nbsp; It reminds me of Joey Ryan's sound that I fell in love with a few years back.&nbsp; Great refrain.<br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>8. </strong><strong>"Man Like That" by Gin Wigmore </strong>- Wigmore belts out this rollicking song with enthusiasm with her smoky voice.&nbsp; It sounds like a classic rock song, and Wigmore's attitude comes through loud and clear.<br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>9. "Please" by Kate Turner </strong>- I love the strings in this song that add the perfect amount of pluck to this subtle performance.<br /><strong></strong><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sG6kYC30TDo/UqwANmaYp7I/AAAAAAAAF6Q/fCk_IvkQ_gg/s1600/bd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sG6kYC30TDo/UqwANmaYp7I/AAAAAAAAF6Q/fCk_IvkQ_gg/s320/bd.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><strong>10. "Stompa" by Serena Ryder </strong>- This anthem demands that you stomp your feet to it, and with its danceable melody, it's nearly impossible to ignore.<br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>11. "Locked Out of Heaven" by Bruno Mars </strong>- With a beat that makes you want to shake your hips, and an epic chorus, this was one of the biggest songs of the year, and for a good reason.<br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>12. "Falling" by Polly Scattergood </strong>- I love Scattergood's breathy vocals, and they've never sounded better than they do on this song, coupled with a fantastic dream-like song.<br /><br /><strong>13. "Samson" by V.V. Brown </strong>- V.V. Brown follows up her pop hit "Shark In the Water" with a strange, experimental album, but I kind of dig it.&nbsp; "Samson" is very moody, with muffled lyrics, but it has a great sound, telling the story of Samson.<br /><strong></strong><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qWtLTHrEqBw/UqwAeWUrJjI/AAAAAAAAF6Y/xQ75_tgmdCM/s1600/bee.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qWtLTHrEqBw/UqwAeWUrJjI/AAAAAAAAF6Y/xQ75_tgmdCM/s320/bee.png" width="320" /></a></div><strong>14. "Wings" by Birdy </strong>- This song feels bittersweet, a little forlorn and sad, but also hopeful.&nbsp; It's beautiful and haunting.<br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>15. "Forget Me Knots" by Heathers </strong>- This is a perfectly constructed song.&nbsp; Great chorus, with a great build.<br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>16.&nbsp;"When the Darkness Comes" by Colbie Caillat </strong>- There's something very classic about this song.&nbsp; It's elegant, with beautiful strings and a lovely refrain that feels sort of epic.<br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>17. Dark Horse by Katy Perry (featuring Juicy J.) </strong>- I really like how this song keeps building toward the chorus.&nbsp; It's very intense, and a really unique sound for Perry.<br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>18. "Out of My League" by Fitz &amp; The Tantrums </strong>- This song definitely has an 80's vice, but that chorus is fresh and&nbsp;just awesome.<br /><strong></strong><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Q9kL1ms3cbg/UqwAtNE3JNI/AAAAAAAAF6g/6wLNj-WQGjA/s1600/bf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Q9kL1ms3cbg/UqwAtNE3JNI/AAAAAAAAF6g/6wLNj-WQGjA/s320/bf.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><strong>19. "Team" by Lorde </strong>- While "Royals" was everywhere this year, I prefer this song.&nbsp; I love the odd opening, and the lyrics make me smile.<br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>20. "All Night" by Icona Pop </strong>- A great dance song with throbbing bass, this is just a ton of fun.<br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>21. "Slowly Freaking Out" by Skylar Grey </strong>- I love the industrial sounds in this unconventional song.&nbsp; Despite the kind of ugly sounds, it's somehow very beautiful.<br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>22. "17" by Jillette Johnson </strong>- This "B-side" song is a lovely song that seems to come straight from Johnson's diary, simple and elegant.<br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>23. "Keep Me High" by Adaline </strong>- This moody song with haunting strings and dark lyrics is melodic and beautiful, very atmospheric.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iTiN4a-q7nY/UqwA5t4XwcI/AAAAAAAAF6o/sFsI-nT2BSY/s1600/bg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iTiN4a-q7nY/UqwA5t4XwcI/AAAAAAAAF6o/sFsI-nT2BSY/s320/bg.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><strong>24. "Love Me Again" by John Newman </strong>- This song is great.&nbsp; John Newman really belts it out.&nbsp; It's a little rough around the edges and rocking.<br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>25. "The Star That Guides You Home" by Emma Stevens </strong>- This is a pretty simple song, but the chorus and guitar just work together to make the perfect little dittie.<br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>26. "Cool Kids" by Echosmith </strong>- This is just a cool song that feels nostalgic.<br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>27. "Forget You" by Cady Groves </strong>- Probably the best thing to ever come out of a "Smurfs" movie is this great pop song from Cady Groves.&nbsp; Catchy, sugary bubblegum pop that just makes you happy.<br /><strong></strong><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rCoy_NNoiQ0/UqwBVTW-THI/AAAAAAAAF6w/0qgKTJS2CoE/s1600/night-terrors-of-1927-whycauseican.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rCoy_NNoiQ0/UqwBVTW-THI/AAAAAAAAF6w/0qgKTJS2CoE/s320/night-terrors-of-1927-whycauseican.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><strong>28. "Fall Into You" by Night Terrors of 1927</strong> - This sensitive, lovely song from the band Night Terrors of 1927 has a fantastic chorus with guys' voices rising in harmony, and has a vaguely 80's vibe that's somehow still modern.<br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>29. "Without You" by Natalie Maines </strong>- The first solo outing from Natalie Maines, formerly of the Dixie Chicks, sees some great rock tracks, and this one stands out as the best of the bunch, with a great hook.<br /><br /><strong>30. "Hot Damn" by Ivy Levan </strong>- This cheeky song from "The Dame" Ivy Levan is blunt and really fun.&nbsp; Levan has adopted a persona as a performer that really works, and will probably attract a lot of fans.<br /><br /><u>Honorable Mentions</u><br /><strong>"Me &amp; My Girls" by Fifth Harmony</strong><br /><strong>"The Habit" by Lissie</strong><br /><strong>"The Way It Used To Be" by Mike Posner</strong><br /><strong>"Push Play" by Miriam Bryant</strong><br /><strong>"Wear Me Out" by Skylar Grey</strong>http://comics-and-more.blogspot.com/2013/12/best-in-music-2013.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Dave Ferraro)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13602789.post-5484561374933916828Thu, 12 Sep 2013 04:34:00 +00002013-09-11T23:34:40.220-05:00Unico<em>Osamu Tezuka</em><br /><br />I love Osamu Tezuka and pretty much buy&nbsp;everything published from him when it comes state-side.&nbsp; The latest offering I picked up was <strong>Unico</strong>.&nbsp; This is a 400-page omnibus paperback that collects the complete run of the series, originally funded by Kick Starter, and published by DMP.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gUrodLFRgnM/UjFDWiJ2yYI/AAAAAAAAF3A/1AWx6uwRdug/s1600/unico.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gUrodLFRgnM/UjFDWiJ2yYI/AAAAAAAAF3A/1AWx6uwRdug/s320/unico.jpg" width="228" /></a></div>While I am a big champion of all-ages titles, there are those few that are just a bit too cute, to the point where they kind of grate on your teeth.&nbsp; And unfortunately <strong>Unico</strong> falls under that umbrella.&nbsp; As a unicorn, Unico brings lifelong happiness to anyone who loves him, and when jealous Venus sees how happy the beautiful Psyche is to be with him, she snatches him from her, and whisks him away, with no memory,&nbsp;across time and space.&nbsp; Unfortunately for her, Unico is so kind and lovable that everywhere he finds himself, he manages to find someone to love him and bring happiness to, so he is continually being transplanted to a new life, with no memory of the previous ones.&nbsp; This gets very repetitive after awhile.&nbsp; The scenarios are slightly different each time, with a different era as the backdrop, whether it be the American West or Imperial Russia, but he faces the same problems time and again, and everything tends to be wrapped up with a neat little bow.&nbsp; And every time, Unico begs for a little more time to see his friends to happiness, which he always manages.&nbsp; So, the variety is really lacking in this book, especially&nbsp;by the end of its&nbsp;400 pages.&nbsp; It would help if Unico was an interesting character, but he is&nbsp;just so&nbsp;passive, wanting only to be loved and be kind.&nbsp; This is, however, a children's book, so I want to give it props for being an enjoyable, light read with Disney-esque characters that kids will like. And the cinematic storytelling&nbsp;keeps you turning those pages quickly.&nbsp; But as a $35 omnibus aimed at collectors, this is definitely a work that fans can skip.&nbsp; I will say that Tezuka's art is stunning in this volume, and as it's presented here&nbsp;in full-color, we get some breathtaking scenes as a result.http://comics-and-more.blogspot.com/2013/09/unico.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Dave Ferraro)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13602789.post-2906219685732666671Wed, 05 Jun 2013 22:18:00 +00002013-06-05T17:18:47.182-05:00PostingI haven't posted anything of substance for&nbsp;awhile now, and as I'm getting less and less time to focus on this blog due to my writing, I feel it's become rather neglected.&nbsp; Picking out a comic book every week and highlighting items from <em>Previews</em> isn't enough to keep a blog going, so <em>Comics-and-More</em> is going to go on semi-hiatus.&nbsp; I will not be posting regularly, but when I do have something of substance to say, I will post it, whether that be once a month or once every few months.&nbsp; Follow this site if you want to be alerted to new posts, or check in every once awhile if you like.&nbsp; Thank you to everyone who has supported me over the past eight years (yes, it will be eight years next Tuesday!) and read my nearly-1,600 posts over that time, and feel free to follow me on twitter or through <a href="http://www.ferrarofiction.blogspot.com/">my author site</a>.&nbsp; It's been an incredible experience, and while you haven't heard the last of me here, I hope that&nbsp;when you do hear from me, my words will&nbsp;make more of an impact than they have as of late.http://comics-and-more.blogspot.com/2013/06/posting.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Dave Ferraro)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13602789.post-4929147949773134547Wed, 29 May 2013 05:19:00 +00002013-05-29T00:19:26.500-05:00Pick of the Week 5/29Here is the book you should be paying attention to, in comic shops today...<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1cLfUQxJ5iU/UaWPh_rfewI/AAAAAAAAFu8/oXqQzrANsEI/s1600/mere.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1cLfUQxJ5iU/UaWPh_rfewI/AAAAAAAAFu8/oXqQzrANsEI/s320/mere.jpg" width="207" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><strong>Mere GN</strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em>C.F.</em></div>http://comics-and-more.blogspot.com/2013/05/pick-of-week-529.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Dave Ferraro)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13602789.post-6916102637744447383Mon, 20 May 2013 16:03:00 +00002013-05-20T11:03:05.931-05:00Pick of the Week 5/22Here is the book you should be paying attention to this Wednesday in comic shops...<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zONxjoAqAgY/UZpJEIX9B5I/AAAAAAAAFuA/JDjsKWUOc5s/s1600/sunny.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zONxjoAqAgY/UZpJEIX9B5I/AAAAAAAAFuA/JDjsKWUOc5s/s1600/sunny.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div align="center"><strong>Sunny (Volume 1)</strong></div><div align="center"><em>Taiyo Matsumoto﻿</em></div>http://comics-and-more.blogspot.com/2013/05/pick-of-week-522.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Dave Ferraro)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13602789.post-4632502984152072177Thu, 16 May 2013 19:10:00 +00002013-05-16T14:10:35.325-05:00Pick of the Week 5/15Sorry this is being posted late this week...but here is the book you should be paying attention to in comic shops!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zZ_AMLwAZXs/UZUvGjTOtNI/AAAAAAAAFtI/Kc3j0xmgUOA/s1600/doomsday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zZ_AMLwAZXs/UZUvGjTOtNI/AAAAAAAAFtI/Kc3j0xmgUOA/s1600/doomsday.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div align="center"><strong>Doomsday.1 #1 (of 4)</strong></div><div align="center"><em>John Byrne</em>﻿</div>http://comics-and-more.blogspot.com/2013/05/pick-of-week-515.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Dave Ferraro)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13602789.post-7187659039457711200Thu, 09 May 2013 00:26:00 +00002013-05-08T19:26:56.123-05:00Pick of the Week 5/8Here is the book you should be paying attention to, in comic shops today...<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uZjTYLuWn8k/UYrtPWVK-lI/AAAAAAAAFqI/SU0WM7RImPA/s320/avengers.jpg" width="209" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">&nbsp;</div><div align="center"><strong>Avengers Arena (Volume 1): Kill or Die TP</strong></div><div align="center"><em>Dennis Hopeless &amp; Kev Walker﻿</em></div>http://comics-and-more.blogspot.com/2013/05/pick-of-week-58.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Dave Ferraro)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13602789.post-6916920853525769992Wed, 08 May 2013 04:29:00 +00002013-05-07T23:29:35.992-05:00May Previews PicksHere are the books that caught my attention from <em>Previews Catalogue</em>, for books shipping to comic shops in May...<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-txUnzjcqSAw/UYnTMgciQoI/AAAAAAAAFpQ/aQEHRr3_6Tk/s1600/sunny.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-txUnzjcqSAw/UYnTMgciQoI/AAAAAAAAFpQ/aQEHRr3_6Tk/s1600/sunny.jpg" /></a></div><br /><strong>Sunny (Volume 1) </strong>- A new manga by Taiyo Matsumoto (<strong>GoGo Monster</strong>)?&nbsp; Yes, please!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QLwiaUUo5CE/UYnTBbGuhuI/AAAAAAAAFpI/eDNcN-ykG9A/s1600/Half+past+danger.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QLwiaUUo5CE/UYnTBbGuhuI/AAAAAAAAFpI/eDNcN-ykG9A/s320/Half+past+danger.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><strong>Half Past Danger #1 (of 6) </strong>- A new action mini-series from Stephen Mooney featuring dinosaurs in a 1940s adventure, with some really nice art.<br /><br /><strong>Marble Season HC </strong>- This one must have come to stores early because I already had it a few weeks ago!&nbsp; But this is a must-buy.&nbsp; Gilbert Hernandez doing a semi-autobiographical graphic story.<br /><br /><strong>Avengers: The Enemy Within #1 </strong>- A one-shot kicking off a four-part event that crosses over into <strong>Captain Marvel </strong>and <strong>Avengers Assemble</strong>.<br /><br /><strong>Promethea: The Immateria Edition HC </strong>- The entire 32-issue run of Alan Moore and J.H. Williams III's stunning&nbsp;<strong>Promethea </strong>is collected in a deserving hardcover edition.<br /><br /><strong>Tarzan: The Complete Russ Manning Newspaper Strips (Volume 1): 1967-1969 </strong>- A new addition to IDW's excellent <em>Library of American Comics </em>line, this is the first of four volumes collecting Manning's comic strip run, both dailies and Sundays.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fAgSwtW5U0c/UYnTdZ7L-MI/AAAAAAAAFpY/We2l89wuHyk/s1600/redtaxi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fAgSwtW5U0c/UYnTdZ7L-MI/AAAAAAAAFpY/We2l89wuHyk/s320/redtaxi.jpg" width="231" /></a></div><strong>Benny Breakiron (Volume 1): The Red Taxis HC </strong>- A new series from Papercutz collecting another work from Peyo, creator of <strong>The Smurfs</strong>!!<br /><br /><strong>The Best of EC (Volume 1) Artist's Edition HC </strong>- IDW's Artist's Editions continue with this first volume of EC works, showcasing the art of creators like Harvey Kurtzman, Al Williamson, Bernie Krigstein, and more.<br /><br /><strong>Mouse Guard: Legends of the Guard (Volume 2) #1 </strong>- A new round of creators tackle David Petersen's world of mice and swords in the first issue of this new volume of the&nbsp;anthology series.&nbsp; Volume one featured the first art I'd ever seen by Jeremy Bastian, who went on to produce my favorite comic in recent memory, <strong>Cursed Pirate Girl</strong>.&nbsp; This new issue will see the art of creators such as Stan Sakai and Ben Caldwell.<br /><br /><strong>Kick-Ass 3 #1 (of 8) </strong>- Mark Millar and John Romita Jr. continue <strong>Kick-Ass </strong>into a new mini-series.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5LuV1Wz_bMQ/UYnTqWBx6QI/AAAAAAAAFpg/mvFqFqWZgOc/s1600/comics-last-of-the-mohicans.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5LuV1Wz_bMQ/UYnTqWBx6QI/AAAAAAAAFpg/mvFqFqWZgOc/s320/comics-last-of-the-mohicans.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><strong>The Last of the Mohicans HC </strong>- Picturebox dives into manga with this work my Japanese comics master Shigeru-Sugiura.<br /><br /><strong>The Wake #1 (of 10) </strong>This maxi-series from Scot Snyder and Sean Murphy sees a group of scientists discover something terrifying in the depths off of the Arctic Circle.<br /><br /><strong>Pacific Rim: Tales From Year Zero HC </strong>- In this prequel to the Summer film, we get a look at humanity's first encounters with Kaiju.<br /><br /><strong>The Mighty Thor Omnibus (Volume 2) HC </strong>- I'm glad they're still putting these out.&nbsp; Stan Lee and Jack Kirby continue spinning stories from Asgard in this 768-page monster.<br /><br /><strong>Utsubora: The Story of a Novelist Omnibus TP </strong>- A 460-page murder mystery manga from Asumiko Nakamura.<br /><br /><strong>Animal Man Omnibus HC </strong>- Loving the current <strong>Animal Man </strong>comic?&nbsp; Well, check out this 712-page omnibus edition featuring the creative Grant Morrison's legendary run on the character.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_QJZoKESqMg/UYnT1mPUNII/AAAAAAAAFpo/G6UI8-e_kRw/s1600/tommysaurus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_QJZoKESqMg/UYnT1mPUNII/AAAAAAAAFpo/G6UI8-e_kRw/s1600/tommysaurus.jpg" /></a></div><strong>Tommysaurus Rex GN </strong>- A new all-ages graphic novel from Doug Tennapel, who is really making a name for himself with this niche.<br /><br /><strong>The Reason For Dragons HC </strong>- This coming-of-age story sees a boy venture into a Renaissance Fair, where he meets a knight&nbsp;who insists there is a dragon in the woods that he is training to slay.<br /><br /><strong>New Genesis #1 (of 12) </strong>- This first original comic series from Clive Barker.&nbsp; Co-written by Mark Millar, art by Haemi Jang.<br /><br /><strong>Odd Duck GN </strong>- Sara Varon illustrates this all-ages story by Cecil Castellucci about a...well, an odd duck.<br /><br /><strong>X #1 (of 4) </strong>- A Dark Horse vigilante is resurrected in this mini-series by Duane Swierczyski and Eric Nguyen.<br /><br /><strong>Mister X: Eviction #1 (of 3) </strong>- And more X-stuff from Dark Horse.&nbsp; This is a new mini from <strong>Mister X </strong>creator Dean Motter.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uBs2psjRBfo/UYnUV_mQI8I/AAAAAAAAFpw/TUnumsGDoO8/s1600/fran.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uBs2psjRBfo/UYnUV_mQI8I/AAAAAAAAFpw/TUnumsGDoO8/s320/fran.jpg" width="228" /></a></div><strong>Fran HC&nbsp;</strong>- Jim Woodring's follow-up to <strong>Congress Of the Animals </strong>from a few years ago.<br /><br /><strong>The Crow: Skinning the Wolves TP </strong>- An all-new <strong>Crow </strong>story from Jason O'Barr and Jim Terry, set in 1945 Europe.<br /><br /><strong>Harlan Ellison's 7 Against Chaos HC </strong>- Science fiction great Harlan Ellison pens this new graphic novel, with art by <strong>Concrete</strong>'s Paul Chadwick, that takes place in a strange, distant future.<br /><br /><strong>Nothing Can Possibly Go Wrong GN </strong>- Faith Erin Hicks illustrates this&nbsp;high school drama&nbsp;by Prudence Shen.<br /><br /><strong>Captain Universe: The Hero Who Could Be You #1 </strong>- Love the enigmatic new Captain Universe in <strong>Avengers</strong>?&nbsp; Well, here you can get a look at original classic tales of the original Captain Universe from the 70's and 80's, in a fat 104-page comic book.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9CAHa8lzXoA/UYnUl0CVdwI/AAAAAAAAFp4/XePRc5wrVpI/s1600/walrus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9CAHa8lzXoA/UYnUl0CVdwI/AAAAAAAAFp4/XePRc5wrVpI/s320/walrus.jpg" width="226" /></a></div><strong>Walrus GN </strong>- Brandon Graham's first art book, courtesy of Picturebox.<br /><br /><strong>Lost Cat HC </strong>- The latest by Jason.<br /><br /><strong>Doomsday.1 #1 (of 4) </strong>- John Byrne continues to turn out the creative original works over at IDW.<br /><br /><strong>Adventures of Superman #1 </strong>- A digital-first series featuring talent like Jeff Parker, Chris Samnee and Orson Scott Card.<br /><br /><strong>Masters of the Universe: The Origin of Hordak #1 </strong>-This one-shot delves into She-Ra's biggest foe's past.<br /><br /><strong>Edgar Rice Burroughs' Tarzan: The Sunday Comics (Volume 1): 1931-1933 HC </strong>- Giant-size, full color reprints of the action strip&nbsp; with art by <strong>Prince Valiant</strong>'s Hal Foster.<br /><br /><strong>The Green Team #1 </strong>and <strong>The Movement #1 </strong>- Yawn.&nbsp; http://comics-and-more.blogspot.com/2013/05/may-previews-picks.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Dave Ferraro)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13602789.post-9030185522611886382Wed, 01 May 2013 06:06:00 +00002013-05-01T01:06:04.071-05:00Pick of the Week 5/1I just got back from a nice long weekend in Chicago, where I attended C2E2, a comic book convention in the Windy City.&nbsp; I attended a few panels, but mostly just shopped the showroom floor for cheap graphic novels.&nbsp; While there, I picked up several goodies like <strong>Captain Britain: Birth of a Legend HC</strong>, <strong>Alpha Flight Classic (Volume 3) TP</strong>, <strong>The Many Adventures of Miranda Mercury HC, Excalibur Visionaries: Warren Ellis (Volume 2) TP</strong>, and several <strong>X-Factor </strong>hardcovers from Peter David's run.&nbsp; It was nice, but there wasn't really enough for us to do over the course of three days, so we skipped Sunday and had a day in the city instead, which turned out to be really nice.&nbsp; Anyways, here's the book you should be paying attention to, in comic shops today...<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WdxfrPoM_5I/UYCwv3oMCjI/AAAAAAAAFm0/azwWuUhOAKo/s1600/Cyborg-009-Chapter-000-Cove.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WdxfrPoM_5I/UYCwv3oMCjI/AAAAAAAAFm0/azwWuUhOAKo/s320/Cyborg-009-Chapter-000-Cove.jpg" width="206" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><strong>Cyborg 009: Chapter 000</strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em>F.J. DeSanto, Bradley Cramp, Marcus To &amp; Ian Herring</em></div>http://comics-and-more.blogspot.com/2013/05/pick-of-week-51.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Dave Ferraro)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13602789.post-1001661952598187872Thu, 25 Apr 2013 02:05:00 +00002013-04-24T21:05:27.730-05:00HildaI saw the cover image from <strong>Hilda and the Bird Parade</strong> on the cover of&nbsp;<em>ForeWord Reviews&nbsp;</em>magazine, and investigated it, and I'm really glad that I did!&nbsp;&nbsp;Luke Pearson's&nbsp;latest all-ages graphic novel wasn't available from Barnes &amp; Noble a few weeks ago when I was looking into it, so I ordered&nbsp;his previous works surrounding the little blue-haired girl Hilda.&nbsp; <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--oPDX4ybfUo/UXiMZwhMToI/AAAAAAAAFmI/YpINcKHzMm0/s1600/hildafolk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--oPDX4ybfUo/UXiMZwhMToI/AAAAAAAAFmI/YpINcKHzMm0/s320/hildafolk.jpg" width="236" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">&nbsp;</div><strong>Hildafolk</strong><br /><em>Luke Pearson</em><br /><em></em><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-o1Y01xQX_Ns/UXiMdJRnpwI/AAAAAAAAFmQ/z5zlhoFszF4/s1600/hilda.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-o1Y01xQX_Ns/UXiMdJRnpwI/AAAAAAAAFmQ/z5zlhoFszF4/s320/hilda.jpg" width="238" /></a></div><strong>Hildafolk</strong> is part of UK publisher Nobrow Press' 17X23 line of graphic short stories, and is in the format of a comic, with exceptional printing quality.&nbsp; This story introduces readers to Hilda, who lives in the countryside, where myths and fantasy creatures are very real.&nbsp; She has a little blue fox with antlers named Twig, as a sidekick, is friends with a boy made out of wood, and otherwise lives in a warm little house with her mother.&nbsp; In this short, we see her first encounters with the strange wooden boy as Hilda ventures into the hills to draw.&nbsp; While there, she meets a troll, a very dangerous creature according to the book she's been reading.&nbsp; There's not much going on in terms of plot in this book, but the fiery-spirited, adventurous Hilda manages to entertain readers in this magical world that Pearson has created.&nbsp; Pearson has a wonderful cartoony art style that's full of vibrant colors and beautiful panel sequences.&nbsp; I particularly like a snowy scene set to an orange background - it's just breath-taking - and the general warmth of the house that Hilda occupies with her mom.&nbsp; This is a fantastic introduction to this all-ages fantasy world, and I highly recommend it.<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-go2qkXobZR0/UXiM6X8p0AI/AAAAAAAAFmY/1lbV3-EVwYM/s1600/Hilda-Midnight-Giant.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-go2qkXobZR0/UXiM6X8p0AI/AAAAAAAAFmY/1lbV3-EVwYM/s320/Hilda-Midnight-Giant.jpg" width="245" /></a><strong>Hilda and the Midnight Giant HC</strong><br /><em>Luke Pearson</em><br /><em></em><br /><strong>Hilda and the Midnight Giant </strong>builds on the world of <strong>Hildafolk </strong>in a full-length graphic novel that sees Hilda and her mother attacked by tiny, invisible beings, before opening her eyes to a tiny world around her.&nbsp; Pearson plays with the designs of the characters in this book, which look different than in Hilda's debut, but it retains that child-like fantasy and humor in an ever-expanding world.&nbsp; I'm lucky I ordered this when I did since it went on backorder at Barnes &amp; Noble following its Eisner nominations a few days later for <em>Best Publication For Kids</em> and for Luke Pearson himself in the <em>Best Writer/Artist</em> category.&nbsp; With this book, I'm officially onboard the Luke Pearson bandwagon (it doesn't hurt that he's really cute), and am a huge fan of the <strong>Hilda</strong> books!<br /><br />http://comics-and-more.blogspot.com/2013/04/hilda.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Dave Ferraro)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13602789.post-8115438600773883656Tue, 23 Apr 2013 04:22:00 +00002013-04-22T23:22:16.736-05:00Pick of the Week 4/24Here is the book you should be paying attention to in comic shops on Wednesday...<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-71HvElgtuP0/UXYMXa5DBCI/AAAAAAAAFl4/qQmHn18Qu3k/s1600/marbleseason.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-71HvElgtuP0/UXYMXa5DBCI/AAAAAAAAFl4/qQmHn18Qu3k/s1600/marbleseason.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><strong>Marble Season HC</strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em>Gilbert Hernandez</em></div>http://comics-and-more.blogspot.com/2013/04/pick-of-week-424.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Dave Ferraro)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13602789.post-8469497571668649222Fri, 19 Apr 2013 00:41:00 +00002013-04-18T19:41:22.659-05:00Gunnerkrigg Court (Volume 4)While doing some blind searches, I came upon this wonderful pre-order item!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aymAyjzPaTI/UXCSoVxzAHI/AAAAAAAAFlA/WFnJuwwXCP0/s1600/gunner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aymAyjzPaTI/UXCSoVxzAHI/AAAAAAAAFlA/WFnJuwwXCP0/s320/gunner.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><strong>Gunnerkrigg Court (Volume 4): Materia</strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em>Thomas Siddell</em></div><div style="text-align: center;">In bookstores August 13, 2013</div><div style="text-align: center;">Pre-order <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/gunnerkrigg-court-volume-4-rebecca-taylor/1114756174?ean=9781936393992">here</a>&nbsp;(it's currently 40% off cover price)!﻿</div>http://comics-and-more.blogspot.com/2013/04/gunnerkrigg-court-volume-4.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Dave Ferraro)0